


True Mate

by ogeemattyb



Series: True in every sense of the word [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: All AU, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal, BAMF!Stiles, Blow Jobs, Bottom Stiles Stilinski, Cannon Divergent, Empathy, Fingering, First Time, Forgiveness, Frottage, Hurt/Comfort, Knotting, M/M, Magic!Stiles, Masterbation, Mates, Mating, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Pack Mom Stiles, Protective Derek, Protective Stiles, Puppy Piles, Rutting, Scenting, Scott Bashing, Sex, Sex Toys, Slight angst/lots of fluff, Top Derek Hale, True Alpha, True Mates, mate bond, non-crazy Peter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-16
Updated: 2013-11-27
Packaged: 2017-12-29 14:50:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 64,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1006687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ogeemattyb/pseuds/ogeemattyb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gerard is dead, Jackson is a wolf, and the pack can finally relax. But Stiles has gained some new information about himself and Derek. Magic is a thing, and what the hell is a True Alpha, and why are he and Derek True Mates? What does that even mean? There are still quite a few things left unsolved and now that the threat is gone they can get to work on it. </p><p>Plus Scott has a long way to go in not only finding himself, but finding his way back to the pack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! Chapter one of the third installment! This is all AU so please be patient with me.

So making out is a thing now. It was unhurried, and tender. Somehow we moved to the bed and I have to say that lying in Derek’s arms is something I could become addicted to really fast. Being curled into his chest and having his warm body so close to mine is amazing. Time has lost all meaning. We could have been here for hours or minutes. All I know is that I never want this to end. My eyes are closed and our legs are intertwined. “This is nice.”

The only response I get is what sounds like a purr rumbling in his chest, and then after a few more minutes of silence he finally speaks. “There is something we have to talk about. A lot of things actually.”

I pull back and he sits up, so I do too. “Okay, what about?”

“Well first of all, what happened to you? Erica and Boyd refused to tell me.” His hand cups my face and softly rubs over the bruise on my cheek and the cut on my lip. Some of the pain ebbs away and the black lines race up Derek’s arm. I knew that wolves could do that, but have never seen it done. The tingling sensation is different, but not unwelcome. 

“It’s nothing.”

“Stiles, it isn’t nothing. What happened?”

His eyes are searching my face as if looking for the answer. There isn’t much he can do about it now, so I guess it’s okay to tell him. “Gerard kidnapped me from the game and took me back to the Argent house. I was thrown in the basement and Erica and Boyd were tied up. I don’t know how they got captured though.”

“They were leaving.” He casts his gaze downward and that look of defeat comes back. This time it is my turn to put my hand on his face and make him look at me.

“No, they weren’t. They should have been at the game that night.” There is confusion in his eyes. “Isaac came over after they told you they wanted to leave, so I made him take me to them so I could talk to them. I got them to agree to stay. Figured you tried, but went all grumpy wolf on them. So I yelled and then I told them that a family sticks together through thick and thin. So they changed their minds. They were going to come and help that night at the game. And they did. They were there with you guys before Jackson was healed. Right?” The look of shock on his face makes me want to laugh. “What?”

“Nothing. Just you got them to stay.”

“Well isn’t that what I am supposed to do as the Alpha’s Mate? Be the pack mom and all?” Instead of using his words he slants his mouth over mine in a bruising kiss. I giggle into it and rub my fingers through his hair at the base of his head along his neck. He pulls back and has a smile of his own on his face. That makes my smile even bigger. This is the smile that is meant only for me, and I will always try to bring it out of him. “So, what else?”

His jaw tenses up a bit, but then relaxes almost immediately. There is a warm tug on the bond and he places the palm of his hand on my chest, over his mark. “This is not a normal claim mark. It is always a bite.” My hand is on his mark now and I am tracing it with my fingers. “This kind of mark only happens with people who possess the Gift.”

“The what?”

“The Gift, magic, Stiles.”

“I’m magic?”

“Well the first clue was that you could use mountain ash. The second was the way your eyes clouded over when you were yelling at Scott in the warehouse.”

“They did what?” I almost want to run over to the mirror, just to make sure they are the same chocolate brown they always are.

“It’s okay, Stiles. But I think you should talk to Deaton tomorrow. He has the gift too. He was an advisor to my family. Many larger packs have them. They call themselves by different names. Druids, Watchers, Mages. But in the end, they all possess what we call the Gift, and have a knowledge of the supernatural.” It takes me a second to wrap my head around this. I have magic? Dr. D. has magic? What? I mean werewolves are real. Kanimas are real. Why wouldn’t magic be real? It makes sense, kinda. 

“So I have powers and shit?” I rest my head back on his chest. His body is so warm I don’t want to move.

“I’m not really sure how it works. Pack business was handled when us younger kids weren’t there. I knew we had someone with the Gift, but I never met him.”

“So I might not be just the defenseless human after all.” This could be a good thing.

“I never thought of you like that. You have always been strong. You look after your dad, you looked after Scott, you helped me, and you never complained about it. Well at least not in a way you meant. No matter what was happening, you were always there in the thick of it, even though you couldn’t heal like I can. I assume that Gerard beat you as a message to me.” I nod. “How did you keep me from feeling your pain? I didn’t even know you were under attack. That shouldn’t have happened?”

“I just kept sending calm thoughts through the bond. I knew you had to stay focused on the Jackson situation, and I couldn’t let you fall into a trap. He wanted me to be a message, but I thought I would deliver it in my own time.” 

“Bond?”

“Yeah, this intangible cord that connects us. There are smaller ones to the rest of the pack. But the one to you is strong. I can get a sense of what you are feeling. Like right now, you’re… uneasy. What’s wrong?” I lift my head a bit and look up at him.

“Stiles, only wolves should be able to feel the bond. And it is different than you described it. More like a sixth sense. I just, know. I have it with my Betas too.”

“Maybe it’s a magic thing? Or maybe it’s because we’re True Mates.”

“That is the second time you have said that. What does it mean?”

“You don’t know? Well neither do I. It’s something Gerard said. Something about you being a True Alpha, and having a True Mate. And that it is very rare, and powerful.” He looks contemplative for a while. “Maybe you should come with me tomorrow and we can ask the good doc together.” He nods and I fall back onto his chest letting my nose rest in the crook of his neck. He is nuzzling me back and lets out another purr.

“I should get going.”

“Not yet.” I grip his shirt in my hands holding him closer. He nods again, and before I know it I am asleep in his arms.

…

The only thing better than being in Derek’s arms, is waking up in them. I was never one to want to be the little spoon, but I am not complaining now. Our legs are still tangled together, and his nose is pressed right behind my ear. Hot breath on the back of my neck sends shivers down my spine. This is seriously the best way to wake up. But the need to use the bathroom is pressing and if I press back enough I can feel Derek’s morning wood against me. And that is not something I think either one of us is ready for yet. 

As I try to move away, his arms hold me tighter, and he pulls me closer against him. So not helping the situation any. “Derek, I have to use the bathroom.” The words are whispered, but he grunts and reluctantly lets go. When I get up I turn to look at him still trying to sleep. He looks so calm; I can’t wait to crawl back into bed with him. 

The hallway is dark and I tip toe to the bathroom, hoping that I didn’t wake my dad. After I finish up and brush my teeth for good measure, (morning make out session, not as hot with morning breath), I quietly go back to my room, but Dad’s door is opening and he steps out. “Stiles.” That is never a good tone of voice.

“Yeah dad.” Maybe if I pretend to be innocent I won’t get in trouble.

“Next time ask if Derek can stay the night.”

I wince at the words. “Nothing happened. Just sleeping I promise. My virginity is still intact.”

He lets out a sigh. “I don’t want to know. Just next time ask me first.” I nod and try to will the blush down before I head back into my room. 

As I close the door I see Derek sitting in the chair, and my thoughts of returning to bed are ruined. So I go and sit on the bed next to him. “So… I guess this means that you will have to use my front door more often now. I don’t think that overnight stays are going to be okay unless dad knows about them.” Derek turns about ten shades of red, and that is completely adorable. He is actually embarrassed. I didn’t know he could get embarrassed. “How didn’t you hear him anyway?” His blush deepens.

“I was distracted.”

“By what? We were only sleeping.”

“Your heartbeat.” And with that I can’t hold back anymore, I launch myself over to him and nestle myself in his lap, giving him a sweet kiss. Kissing is so wonderful. Why haven’t we been kissing this whole time?

“You are such a romantic.” He looks horror struck, so I tap his forehead with a finger. “That is a good thing dumbass. I like that you let that show in front of me. It shows that you’re not such a sourwolf after all.” He pretends to grumble at the nickname, but leans back in for another simple kiss. After I pull back I look in his eyes and get lost for a moment. “I was really hoping that we could sleep a bit longer, but I guess that is no longer an option. So I guess we could go get some breakfast, and then visit Dr. D.”

He nods and I start to change after Derek leaves the room to use the bathroom. I like that he doesn’t ask me. He just goes. It is so domestic. When he gets back we head downstairs. Dad started some coffee, and I pour a mug for Derek. I won’t touch the stuff, not that Dad would even let me. He puts some milk and sugar in it. Again, I figured him all wrong. I picked him for a black coffee as strong as he can get it type. I set about making scrambled egg whites, with spinach and turkey bacon. Dad frowns when I place it in front of him, but eats it anyway. Derek looks grateful, I don’t think he gets many home-made meals. I will have to fix that. “So you boys have anything planned for the day?” It is the first thing my dad says, and I can tell that he is a bit tense. Seeing your son lying in bed with his much older boyfriend might do that to a guy.

“Yeah, we have to check on the pack, and probably just hang out.” I don’t want to tell him about magic just yet. Let him mull over the whole werewolves are real thing first. Then tell him, ‘oh hey, I have magic now. Yeah, that’s a thing.’ Derek catches my eye and silently he gets what I am trying to do.

“Pack, right.”

“Yeah, the pack. You know, my new group of friends.”

“Yes, I know Stiles. Just be home for dinner.”

“Can do.” I eat the last bit of egg on my plate and take all the dishes to the sink. I’ll do them when I come back. Derek follows me outside and we get in my Jeep. I don’t know where Derek parked the Camaro, but he can get it later. 

The ride to Deaton’s is a quiet one, but is it comfortable. When we are about a mile away, I start to think, which leads to my heart rate picking up, and my breathing gets harder. The feeling of a hand on my back rubbing in circles calms me down. “What’s wrong Stiles, you started to have a panic attack.”

“I- I just thought…” We are going to the place where my old best friend works. “…Scott”

A low growl comes from Derek. “If he is there we can leave. I don’t want him around you if it upsets you.” I pull over. My hands are a bit shaky. 

“That isn’t what upsets me. It’s just…he was my best friend, he lied to me, didn’t tell me things. That hurts. I have been there for him this whole time, and he just shut me out. Or he was so involved with Allison, that I started to get ignored. When I showed up to the warehouse where you guys confronted the Kanima, he didn’t even care that I was bruised and beaten. He didn’t try to come over and be happy with the rest of us. He didn’t make me feel like I was a part of his pack, when he should have. And it hurts. I just can’t talk to him right now. I know he has sent me a few messages, and called a couple of times, but I just can’t deal with it right now. I want to. I want to talk to him again. He is like my brother. But he has a lot to make up for, and not all of it is to me. He has to make amends with you and the pack before I can fully forgive him. He owes us that much.” Derek’s silence is readable by the look on his face. He agrees. 

“If he is there, we will call Deaton and ask him for an appointment and make sure Scott isn’t there for it. I won’t let him see you until you are ready.”

“Thanks.” Knowing that Derek has my back in all this only makes my heart swell in joy, even with the overtone of sadness. I can handle anything as long as I have him by my side. Pulling out onto the road and breathing become so much easier. When we get to the clinic Scott’s mom’s car isn’t there and neither is his bike but that doesn’t mean anything. Derek gets out and walks inside then comes back and opens my door. 

“He isn’t here.” The breath I didn’t know I was holding comes out and I gingerly get out of the jeep. When we walk in Deaton is standing behind the counter.

“I have been expecting you Mr. Stilinski. Come back on back.” He holds the door open. Derek walks through quickly. It is made from Rowan and he can’t touch it. Following behind him, I keep my hand in his. It helps to comfort both of us. We walk back into the exam room and set ourselves on the far side of the table. “I assume you are here because you have figured out what your spark means.”

“Okay, see that there, the talking around the subject thing you do, so not able to deal with it right now. Derek says you can do magic. That I can do magic. Is it true?”

“How does Derek know this?” He gives a pointed look to Derek, which he gives right back. Always on guard.

“I saw his eyes haze over when he was yelling at Scott two nights ago. The air was thick with something but I don’t know what it is.”

“Ah, that would explain a few things about Scott’s behavior the last few days.”

“He has been acting weird.” Even though I may not like him too much right now, he is still my best bro, and I worry about him.

“Yes, it seems as if he hasn’t been all there. Like he has been in his head and unable to come out of it.”

“Did I do something!?” There is a hint of panic in my voice. Before I think about it I am leaning into Derek’s body as he wraps an arm around my waist.

“He will be fine. You didn’t do anything besides make him think and feel how his actions have affected others. Something he hasn’t been doing recently.”

“Good. He needs to. But what about me. How could I have done what I did without knowing I can do it?”

“Well, Stiles, being an empath is not something you are always able to control.” Empath? I am an empath. That makes so much sense now. “You should be able to feel what others around you are feeling and-“

“And even be able to take what they are feeling away.” I look at Derek and he knows what I am talking about. That night when he came in through my window, right after we found out Peter was the Alpha, when he told me that he wasn’t on Peter’s side. I took the anguish and sadness from him. I didn’t know that I was doing it at the time but it happened. 

Deaton looks at me. “How did you know that?”

“I kind of did it a few months ago.” Derek looks at me and nods for me to continue. “I didn’t know I was doing though. There have also been a few times when I was feeling things and I couldn’t explain how or why I was feeling that way. This makes sense.”

“Yes, well, like I said, you can’t always control empathy. Especially someone like you, always trying to take care of others without thought for yourself. But be careful, empathy can be dangerous too. You can not only feel what others do, and take that feeling from them, but you can influence how they feel, and even heighten or lessen their feelings. It is a handy art, but difficult to master. Mostly because everyone is full of emotion and influencing one without the others can lead to an imbalance. And with magic there must always be a balance.”

This is a lot to take in, but I have a feeling that there is more. Maybe that is what this feeling is. The magic, the way that I can always tell when there will be trouble. Even before it happens. Deaton starts rummaging through a wooden box he sets on the table. Chest is probably a better description of it though. He starts setting out objects on the table. They are a mixture of wooden ones that look like they were hand carved, to marble and stone ones that look very breakable. There are a few other bits as well and none of it looks like it belongs together, yet it all seems to fit. A wooden heart he sets out draws my attention more than the others, and I gently run a finger over it. Deaton gives me a look of encouragement and I pick it up. It is warm in my hand in a way that wood can’t be. At least not without it burning. “These are instruments we with the gift use to help us in our studies. Not everyone with the gift has the same powers. The heart you are holding represents empathy. It can help you focus your power and let you learn control over it. It won’t come to you all at once, it will take time and training, but if you are willing, I can help you.”

“I would like that. What can you do?” He points to a wooden figure of a lion, and a crystal that has been naturally shaped into an orb. 

“The lion symbolizes my tie to nature and animals, and the orb represents my affinity for divination.”

“So what, you can see the future and talk to plants and animals?”

“Essentially, yes. Although I cannot really talk to plants or animals. It is just easier for me to understand them. And the future is not always clear and readable. It changes with every decision we make. I see possible futures; some of them happen, and some of them don’t. Most of us with the gift possess two special abilities, and there are basic magics that anyone with the gift can perform. I want you close your eyes and try reaching out with your mind. Find another object that you can feel a pull towards. So I close my eyes and just try to relax. Derek’s hand resting on my lower back helps. Then I feel two sparks. When I open my eyes I reach out instinctively for the piece of red string, and a pentacle made of silver. “Ah, this is quite rare, although not unheard of. You possess three gifts. Empathy, the ability to see bonds, and able to create barriers.”

“See bonds?”

“Yes, I think the easiest bonds you will find, are the ones within your own pack. They will connect you to the others in varying ways. I do not know them all so I will not be able to help you there, but I can tell you that a basic pack bond will stem from the head to another person’s head, and it will be black in color. There are different lines from different places that symbolize the different kinds of bonds, such as Mates and Family. As for the Barrier magic, this means more than just your average Mountain Ash circle. As you progress you will be able to generate physical shields, mental blockades, and many other things in that nature. I have seen one particular person bend a grove of trees to aid her in an escape. It is a powerful defense. One that will come in quite handy when dealing in the affairs of wolves.” 

This is so overwhelming. So not only can I use magic, but I am a rarity in those in possession of the gift, in the fact that I have three. I get feelings, shields, and bonds. I was kinda hoping to be able to create fire and hurl it from my fingers, but maybe it’s better I didn’t get some of the more destructive ones.

“I can see that you are thinking that you didn’t get some of the more offensive abilities, but any one of the gifts used in the right way can be used as a weapon. I am not going to be the one to tell you how, that you will have to figure out for yourself.”

I nod, something I will have to think more on later. “So you said you would be willing to help train me. I think I would like to take you up on that offer. I don’t think this is something I am wanting to try and wing myself.”

“Of course. Perhaps we can set up a few days a week to meet. Here would be best for myself, seeing as it is my place of work.”

I hesitate a second. I don’t want to say it, and I am lucky enough to have a mate who picks up on these things. He was quiet through the whole thing, but I think that he was just trying to absorb all of this like I was. “Can we arrange the training around Scott’s schedule?”

Deaton looks a bit confused. My hand squeezes Derek’s in thanks, but I can continue. “After the things that Scott has done, and the way he has treated my pack I am not really on speaking terms with him. I want him to know what he did hurt me and my pack. So I am not ready to see him just yet. I don’t want you to compromise his job; I just hope that we can maybe work around it.”

“I think that can be arranged. I have your information, so I will call and let you know when our first session can be. I also want you to keep those.” He gestures to the three objects that represent my powers. “Like I said, they will help you to gain focus and control. Try to meditate each day when you wake up and before you go to bed. Stretch your mind out to them and close yourself off to the outside world.” I look at him skeptically, just shutting off my brain is going to be easier said than done. But it’s worth a shot.

“Thanks, I really appreciate the lack of non-answers. I just have one more question. Derek said that not everyone with the gift calls themselves the same thing, what do you call yourself?”

His eyes brighten at my enquiry. “Ah yes, I have heard many names, but the one I find suits me best is Druid. You will find yours, just let it come to you. Don’t go searching for it.” 

“And how is it that you came to work with the old Hale pack?” I know I said I only had one question, but really, this is me we are talking about.

“When I came to town about fifteen or so years ago, Talia, Derek’s mother, came to me and asked if I would consider becoming the pack’s emissary. It wasn’t a hard choice to make once I met the rest of the pack.”

“What is an emissary?”

“It is a person with the gift, who helps other supernatural creatures. Mostly found in werewolf packs, but occasionally working solo. I had never been offered the position before, and I was quite a bit younger at the time, but it was fulfilling work. And my gifts helped the pack and my part in the pack immensely.” This gives me more to think about. “When you have finished your training with me, perhaps Derek would ask you to be the pack’s new emissary.” That was the line of thought I was going with, but Derek tenses. I have a feeling that we will be talking about this at great length in the near future. I nod giving my thanks and Derek does the same as we walk out to my Jeep. 

“So do you not want me to be the pack’s emissary?”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what is it? You have to use your words, telepathy isn’t one of my super-powers. Oh My God! I have super powers!”

“Yes, you can annoy me to death even more now.”

“Oh shut up. I know you love me, and that you actually like it when I ramble and get super geeky. I know you secretly get all of my weird references, even though you pretend not to. But seriously, what is wrong with me doing the magic thing for the pack?”

“Nothing. It is just a powerful place in the pack. And you will become even more of a target than you already are. You are the Alpha’s mate. And if you are the emissary too, that is a lot of weight to put on your shoulders.”

“I know, but I want it. I like to feel needed. I like to help people. And this just gives me one more excuse to help the pack. I really want this.” I give him my best puppy eyes expression, and I know I will get my way. I think that he will always give into me in the end. But I would never use that against him. Well not every time. He just cares too much. And I love him for that.

“Okay, but I am coming to your training sessions.” His voice is gruff and there is no question about it.

“Why? It’s not like he is going to hurt me, he has been helping us.”

“I just want to be there, okay?” his grumpy face is back. 

“I am old enough to do it by myself you know.”

“I know, just… please let me do this.” His eyes go from hard to pleading so fast it almost gives me whiplash. 

Rolling my eyes, I look over at him, “Fine, you can come. You might help me too. You helped keep me anchored in there.”

There is a beat of silence there, “You’re my anchor too. I told Isaac during his first full moon that is was anger, but I lied. It used to be, but after your apology after the wolfsbane bullet, well, it’s been you.”

I feel like I shouldn’t be astonished, but I am. That is huge, I mean not that being mates isn’t huge, but this was way before I even knew I liked the guy. Which leads to a whole new line of questions. “When did you figure it out?” he gives me a quizzical look. “That we were mates? When did you know?”

He blushes a bit, and I love that he does. “I have known since I first saw you with Scott in the woods that day, when you were looking for his inhaler.”

And that doesn’t surprise me. Wolf senses what they are. If it is a smell, which I am pretty sure it is, then it should be an almost instant thing. But at the same time, the information in the book I have says that you are still able to pick your mate to an extent. “We really need to figure out what this whole being True Mates, and you being a True Alpha means. I think there are some things that could be explained by it all.” He grunts in agreement. And gives me a look of longing. He never thought that he would have a mate, that he would have this, and here we are, together. And he is happy, even if his face doesn’t give it away, I can still tell. This bond we have with each other, I think it can only get stronger. And I can’t wait for that to happen.


	2. Chapter 2

Not wanting to lie too much to my dad, we decide to go to DCL. Isaac should be there, and if I am right, so are Erica and Boyd. And we need to have a pack meeting like today. So much has happened in the last twenty-four hours. There are four members missing and I am sure that Jackson is going to need us more than ever. “I think you should call a pack meeting today.”

“Oh, really?” He is giving me a mock glare. I can tell it’s a mock one, because he is trying hard to hide the smile that is breaking out on his face.

“Yes, Jackson needs to be officially introduced to the pack, and then there is the whole Peter thing.” Derek’s face drops the smile at the mention of his name. I hate to bring it up, but it is an issue that needs to be addressed. “You allowed him to join the pack?”

“Yes, I didn’t know what else to do.”

“It’s okay. He still creeps me the hell out. I can feel that he is going to be Uncle Bad-Touch for a while.”

“He better not touch you.” The normal green eyes burn violet with silver. That should not be as hot as it is.

“He won’t. I think.”

“What do you mean, you think!?” Tell him or not tell him. I don’t want to have any secrets from Derek, but I also don’t want him to kill his uncle unless it is absolutely necessary. 

“It’s nothing.” He just glares at me. More in concern than anger though. Is it sad that I can tell what each glare he gives me means without using my new found powers, even though they all look the same? “He might have sorta, kinda, offered me a certain something when he was an Alpha, and I kinda, sorta, said no.”

“HE WHAT!?” A loud growl emanates from his chest, and his breathing is really harsh. My hand instantly goes to his arm and slides into his hand. Careful of the claws I entwine my fingers in his. He levels out a bit, and closes his eyes. “He offered you the bite?”

Before I know it I am rambling and Derek isn’t stopping me. “Yeah, when you were being held under the Hale house. He was trying to find you and he made me help. Well actually I was playing into it. It all fit into the plan that Allison and I had come up with to free you and take him out. His offer was unexpected though. I did want the bite, but I didn’t want it from him. If I took the bite I wanted it to be from you. When you started turning the others, I was mad at first. I was there, I helped you, and yet you never offered. I didn’t think it was my place to ask either. What I have read in the book I have it says that a pack has to be close, and if you didn’t choose me then we might not be as close as I thought we were.”

“Wait, you planned help me escape?”

“Yeah, Allison came to me after she saw you chained up. I wanted to go right then, but we couldn’t let her know that Allison was on our side.” I can’t bring myself to say her name. Not anymore. “So Allison and I came up with a plan to free you and take out Peter. Things would have gone a bit differently, but Lydia was bitten, Peter kinda kidnaped me, and then Scott went and did his call to you. But things happened to work out. Allison and I were prepared for many different scenarios.” He looks at me in slight shock, but quickly becomes one of thanks. There is a thrum of contentment. 

“You rejected his offer?”

“Obviously, still a scrawny human here.” So that isn’t quite as true as it used to be. Since this whole Kanima thing began, even before that actually, my muscles have started to fill out just a bit. I will never look like Derek, nor would I want to. Mine are smaller, but carry no less strength. I am just more compact. “But I turned him down because I didn’t want him to be the one to bite me. I didn’t get at the time why I wanted it to be you, but I do now.”

Worry crosses through the bond, “Do you still want the bite?”

“No.” I say it before I can even think of it. But it doesn’t make it any less true. Relief floods through the bond. 

“Good. I would give it if you asked, but I don’t want to take the risk of losing you.” There is more to this story, but I won’t say anything about that for now.

“That is why you didn’t ask me. You wouldn’t tell me how you felt, but as always, you were trying to protect me.” He doesn’t answer, but I know it’s the truth. 

“It was selfish of me.”

“How so?”

“I didn’t want to risk your life. I didn’t think I deserved you, still don’t. But I wasn’t going to lose you either.” A sigh comes out before I can stop it, and I squeeze his hand again. This blaming himself thing has got to stop. I don’t know how I can get through to him. The silence fills the jeep comfortably. Neither one of us needing to say anything. “You said you have a book?”

“Um, yeah. When all of this stuff started with Scott I went out and got a bunch of books from the library and printed off a zillion things from online research. But as far as I looked, and for everything that was happening, this one book stayed true. I think I have read it about a hundred times now. It helped me when we were trying to find an anchor for Scott, and what also informed me about the whole mate thing. There are some things that it doesn’t talk about, but I just figured that werewolves wouldn’t want everything written down where just anyone could find it.”

“What does the book look like?”

Thinking about it for a second, “It is well worn, and not by me. But it looks old. Actually now that I think about it, it looks a little homemade. Not published by a company or anything. More like a journal. Why?”

“I think that it might be one of my family’s books.”

“What?”

His voice is quiet. “Laura and I couldn’t recover everything after the fire. I thought most of it had just been burned. But that sounds like one of them.”

“I got it from the library. I kinda liberated it.”

“You mean you stole it.”

“I, well, yeah I did. But now I can give it back to you. It belongs to you after all.”

“Keep it.” My jaw drops. It can’t look attractive, but he smiles at me none the less. “I’m serious. Keep it.”

“But I can’t it isn’t mine. If I’d of known it was yours I would have returned it sooner. I can’t keep something like that.”

“Why not?”

“Because it belonged to your family. It is part of your history.”

“Stiles, you are my family. You are my history, and my future. What’s mine is yours.” It sounds so corny, but he says it with such sincerity, that I can’t help but melt a little. His hand grips mine tighter, and I swear I am going to have bruises, but I can’t even begin to care. He has been fighting this connection we have for so long, and now he is just accepting it. The giddiness is overwhelming me and I can tell when it starts to seep over to him. So I pull over and park then grab the wooden carved heart from my pocket and rub my thumb over it trying to concentrate on calm, and not transferring emotion. This is going to take some getting used to.

As I am trying to calm down, Derek removes his hand from mine. A small whine escapes my throat but I know it is needed. After I am calm enough to focus again, I put the heart in my lap and pull back onto the road. 

When we get there I am barely out of the car before I am surrounded by three warm bodies. I laugh and hug them all back, letting each of them scent me and smell to make sure I am okay. They each touch a part of my skin and I can feel the tingle of them taking some pain away. My ribs are still a bit sore, but now I don’t even feel a twinge. “Thanks guys. But why don’t we move this back to my place? My dad should be going to work soon, and we can have a comfortable place to hang out.” There is a murmur of agreement and before I know it, we are all loaded back into my jeep. We swing back by Derek’s car, and when he hands his keys to Boyd and he and Erica get out, I am not surprised. I was kind of expecting it.

When we get back to the house, the cruiser is gone and I am kind of happy about that. I don’t know if I am ready for pack bonding while my dad is still there. As soon as we get in the house, I tell them to pick a movie and that I will get some snacks. I also send off some texts to Jackson, Lydia, and Allison saying that they should come over. I get a response from Lydia saying they are on their way and then one a few minutes later from Allison saying she will come but can’t stay too long. This worries me. And Derek can tell. I feel him standing behind me. “What is it?”

“Allison said she would come but couldn’t stay. I don’t know if she feels welcome. She is welcome right?”

“Yes. I didn’t think she would want it, but after all she has done for the pack, and done for you, she is pack.”

“Good. Make sure to tell her that.” I wasn’t sure how Derek would be towards her. Mostly because of who her aunt was. But Allison is nothing like that. She has done a lot for us, and I am glad that Derek recognizes that. “You know you are a pretty good Alpha.” I slink towards him and wrap my arms around his neck. His hand finds purchase on my hips and pulls me against his body. There is a look of hunger in his eyes, and then he leans forward and starts scenting me, and sniffing that spot behind my right ear. A gasp lets from my mouth when his tongue licks lightly at the spot. 

“Get a room!” Erica shouts if from the living room. “Or come in here where you can give us a show!”

Derek growls but I just laugh. This is what my new normal is going to be and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The microwave goes off and I dump the popcorn I popped in a big bowl, and nod toward a few bags of chips I got out of the cabinet dad never looks in, for Derek to take them. After I set them down on the coffee table I go back to the kitchen for the bottles of soda, juice, and cups. When everything is laid out, the three Betas dig in like starving men. Good thing I thought to buy some extras. Derek may have to take me grocery shopping later. He is sitting in dad’s chair, so I move to floor next to Isaac, and then all of a sudden I have a lap full of Erica. Before I know it I am at the bottom of a dog pile. Those jokes come way too easily. I just have to try and keep them to myself. 

About five minutes into the small wrestling match the four of us are having on the floor, the doorbell rings. Derek gets up to answer it seeing as I am currently trapped under three other bodies. Lydia’s giggle brings us all out of whatever bubble we were in and they all get off of me. Jackson is standing behind her with one hand in hers. He looks like a sad little puppy and before I know it I am across the room tugging them both into a hug. Lydia responds immediately but Jackson is a bit slower. The insecurity plainly visible is something new. We can’t have any of that, so I tug gently at the pack bond, and the others take a hint and come join us. I have a moment of shock when I realize that Lydia and Allison are both tethered there as well. I knew Derek said they are pack, but to feel it is another thing entirely. 

When the other three Betas join the group hug, Jackson relaxes and lets it happen. I don’t think he is going to stop being a douche bag over night, but this is progress. “Okay, enough. I don’t want you guys to shed on me anymore than necessary.” There is no bite to the remark he makes. More like Jackson’s way of saying thanks.

“Oh, I am sure you’ll get over it. And aren’t the dog jokes supposed to be more my thing? I mean now that you are one of the puppies.” Isaac laughs and Erica slaps my arm in mock hurt. Boyd just rolls his eyes and Lydia squeezes my arm in thanks.

“Maybe so Stilinski, but I can pull them off better.” This shifts us into a contest of who can make the best dog jokes, and I think I am the clear victor, but none of them will agree with me. Derek stays pretty quiet in his corner of solitude, but I can feel the contentment roll off of him. He is surrounded by pack and they are getting along. Not much could ruin this. But I think this too soon. Derek is on his feet and his eyes shift so fast I only just comprehend what is happening when there is a voice from the door. 

“Oh, I don’t know, the dog jokes are good, but I much prefer all the little red riding hood puns I could make.” I look down and see that I am in fact wearing my favorite red hoodie. If I weren’t so creeped out I might actually find it funny.

“Well that would imply that a woodsman would have to come and kill the wolf. Oh wait, that kind of already happened.” The silence is deafening. But then Peter starts to laugh. 

“I knew I liked you for a reason, Stiles. And now you are part of the family.” Derek’s growl is so low that I can feel it in my chest and the windows start to rattle. My hand instantly goes for the heart in my pocket and the other rests on Derek’s shoulder. I can feel the anger slowly ebbing away. Maybe I can get the hang of this after all. “Impressive. Getting an Alpha to calm himself down and back away from the shift. Not an easy feat, even for a mate.”

“Peter, what are you doing here.” Derek is back to his statements instead of questions. He tries to pull away from me, but I don’t let him. Finally he relents and pulls me behind him, keeping himself between me and Peter, who has yet to leave the open door. 

“Well I saw that the pack was here, so I thought I might come and join. That is if I am welcome.” There is a smirk on his face, but sadness in his heart. I can almost taste the tears he refuses to let show. He is feeling left out. And for some reason, I get the feeling that this isn’t the Peter who offered me the bite. This isn’t the Peter that turned Scott.

This is the Peter that died in the fire, and the one who is sorry for the actions he has taken. I don’t think the other can feel it, but I want them to. Stepping out from behind Derek is tricky. He blocks me at first. “Derek, do you trust me?”

He turns to look at me, and as he does the other members of the pack put themselves between Peter and the two of us. “You know I do.”

“Okay, then let me do this. I am not sure it will work, but you all need to understand what is going on here. He won’t say it, but I can show you.” The look I give him and the slight tug on the bond we have makes him whimper. But he finally concedes. “Thank you.” Gingerly stepping through the pack I walk over to Peter. He lifts a curious brow at me but says nothing. My hand reaches out and he hesitantly does the same. Pulling the wooden heart out of my pocket and rubbing my thumb over it, I close my eyes, and focus on my intent. Deaton once said that all I have to do is believe. So that is what I am doing. I am believing that the others can feel the way Peter does. That they can feel the change in him like I can. There is an audible inhale of breath. I can’t tell from who, but that is how I know it works. When I open my eyes, I am looking into Peter’s, they are ice wolf blue, and that quickly fades. 

“You possess the gift. Impressive.” His voice is cracked for a moment before smoothing out into his normal cadence.

“Yes, that is partially why we are having a pack get together, and why I want you to be here too.” The growl that comes from Derek is low, but not at threatening as before. Ushering Peter into the room and closing the door, he takes a spot further from the others, but still in the living room. I don’t think it matters how sorry he is, or what he does to try and make amends for what he has done. The others won’t accept him as much as he might like. But there is a fierce loyalty there now, and I know he won’t just leave us. Not without being made to. Derek and I are going to have to have a talk about that later. I am not forgiving Peter for the things he has done, but I think that everyone deserves a second chance. 

The tension in the room breaks when there is a knock on the door. Seeing as I am still right there, I open it to find Allison. She doesn’t look happy, and I can tell she doesn’t have good news for us. After I close the door behind her another group hug happens. This time without my initiating it. Lydia is first, Erica and Isaac second, finally with Boyd and Jackson. Peter doesn’t want to make the others uncomfortable so he doesn’t join, and my sourwolf just sits there. Eyes moving between us and Peter. This is going to be a long night. 

“Well now that everyone is here, we can talk pack business.” I wait for everyone to take a seat. It is interesting how they are all touching again, not really conscious of it. I start talking, mostly because I can sense that Derek doesn’t know what to say and also because he is trying really hard to keep his temper under control. “So there have been some new developments this week. First off Jackson, Lydia, Allison, and Peter have officially joined the pack. Jackson, you will start training with the others. You seem to have pretty good control, but we don’t really need a repeat of-“ My throat closes up for a second. Just even thinking of Scott at this point is somewhat painful. Derek comes over and stands behind me wrapping his arms around my waist and nestling his nose behind my ear, and I am able to continue. “We don’t need you to go rouge on us. You are pack, and that means we stick together. Through the good and the bad.”

There is a general sense of agreement. There is a questioning yet hopeful look coming from Allison. But before I can say anything Derek speaks up. “Yes you are part of this pack Allison. Stiles told me how much you have helped us.” She nods in conformation, and the sadness and pain from her only increases. I will have to touch on that later.

“The second bit of news is something that I have only found out today. Apparently I’m magic.” There is a lot of confusion from everyone, except Peter. “I don’t know quite everything yet, but it has made many things that have happened lately make a bit more sense.”

“Okay, Harry, so you’re a wizard now. How does this affect us?”

Jackson, right back to his original snotty self. Lydia hits his shoulder and he looks shamed for all of two seconds. “It affects the pack, because I am part of the pack. This is something you have all felt now. That feeling you got when Peter came in, I shared that with you. That is how he feels, even if he is going to hide it behind a snarky self-satisfied exterior.”

“So what can you do besides empathy?” And this is why I love Isaac most of all. He asks this like I am some kind of superhero. I send him an extra bit of joy through the bond.

“I have empathy, which is what all of you have witnessed. Deaton says the other things I can do are see bonds between people and objects, and barriers.”

“So you won’t be shooting lightning out of your fingertips or start flying around on a broom?”

“No Erica, I am not the frickin Wicked Witch. I just possess the Gift. There are more minor things I can do, like that thing with the mountain ash at the rave. I am going to start training with Deaton. Apparently he can do magic too. But that kinda makes sense with how overly evasive his is about everything.” Peter is looking at me in a way he hasn’t before. I can’t tell how he feels, he is able to hide, or disguise it really well. At least now that he is consciously doing it, because he wasn’t before. Probably figured it out after I did the whole heart to heart thing. See there, I made a funny. Totally the best joker. “But I also think that me, Lydia, and Allison should come to training with you guys. I know we can’t do the same kind of stuff, but combat wise, we should know how to take on a werewolf.”

“No.” Derek’s arms drop from around me and he moves to the side a bit.

“Why not?” I am trying really hard not to be angry.

“It is too dangerous. Especially with a new wolf. You could get hurt.” He crosses his arms and looks toward the rest of the pack saying it with a tone to make is sound like that is it, his word is final. Does he know me, really?

“First off, I have been in this from the start of it. And I am just fine, plus now I have a little extra fire power. Secondly, Lydia has been through hell and back. She not only survived the bite, but was the only one who could get through the Kanima to Jackson underneath. Thirdly, Allison has been at this almost as long as I have. She helped me help you, and he was spying for us this whole time. She is not only a Hunter, but able to take care of herself. There is no reason that the three of us should be excluded.”

If looks could kill. Well he wouldn’t kill me, but I think I am the only one in this pack that can challenge him and get away with it. There is a gleam in his eyes, that betrays the anger he is so valiantly putting forward. Worry and fear. “I don’t want you to get hurt. Any of you.”

“We will be fine. Plus you know I’m right.” When the look of anger leaves, I know I’ve won, yet again. He should just learn that I am always right.

“Fine, but you will stay in a circle of Mountain Ash. At least until we know Jackson has complete control over the shift. I am not taking any chances with you.” I know the you is supposed to be for the three humans, but I also know that it is meant more for me.

“Good, well this leads me to my final bit of news. Derek and I are mates.” Of course I smirk. I can’t help it. “And we are together, so you all just better get used to it.” Isaac rolls his eyes, but smiles, Erica giggles, while Boyd sits there stoically. Jackson groans, and Lydia and Allison dart forward and wrap me in a hug. They knew most of what was going on between me and Derek. So they are finally happy that we have done something about it. But it is Peter that throws me off again. He has this calculating look on his face, but doesn’t say anything. “So that is all I have for you guys, does anyone else have anything they would like to say?”

Allison pulls back from the hug. I reach out and grab her wrist before she starts. “I do, um, well… I’m leaving.” What!? “Not for good, just for a month or two. With all that has gone on, my father thinks that we need a break. And really, I kind of agree. Everything with Kate, my mom, and Gerard. It has just been a bit overwhelming.” I pull her into a hug and it starts another group hug. But again neither Derek, or Peter join in. 

“It’s okay Allison.” That gets us all to look up. Derek is trying his best not to portray the guilt he feels. In some way, shape, or form, he had a hand in each of their deaths. I mean he didn’t really, Kate was killed by Peter, Mrs. Argent took her own life, and Gerard’s thirst for power and a cure made the bite reject him. But knowing Derek, he blames himself for them all. I step out of the hug and go over to him taking one of his hands in both of mine, and give him silent reassurance. “If you need to take a break you can. But know that when you come back, there will be a place for you here.” I am glad that he listened to me. Allison really needed to hear that. 

With all the business out of the way, we settle in for movies and just hanging out. I don’t even know what is on the TV because I have such a sense of contentment settle over me, that I lean against Derek on the couch and close my eyes reveling in the feeling. 

…

The rest of the weekend passes in much the same fashion. Getting together and hanging out. Allison tells me that she isn’t speaking to Scott. When I try to tell her she can, she says that she doesn’t want to. With all that happened she was on the same level as me. 

We even get Derek and Isaac moved into their new place, and when Derek gives me a key I am lost for words. He said it was ‘just in case’, but I know he really meant it as, ‘come over whenever you want’. That means so much to me. 

We even have a first training session on Sunday. It is still in the old train warehouse, but now that it doesn’t have people living there, it feels more right. I do what Derek asked of me and gave me and the other humans quite a bit of space. Allison brought her bow and a few other things for her and Lydia to practice with, while I try to meditate. That has been a particularly difficult task. Every time I feel I am about there, my nose itches, or my phone goes off, or Derek distracts me. That isn’t unwelcomed, but it isn’t helpful either. I called Deaton on Saturday to see if there was a book I could read or something visual to look at to help me learn. He said there isn’t. That I have to trust myself and use the focuses. Really anything is possible as long as I believe. He actually said that again. So I think that if I want to use my power in a certain way, all I have to do is will it to happen. 

I have done it a few times with empathy. Mostly practicing with Derek; he comes in my window most nights and normally while I am trying to practice. So I have taken, given, heightened, and lessened emotions from him. But I also think it is easier to do because of our bond. So during the practice on Sunday I tried it out some more. But the only thing I have come to find out is that I need to actually have physical contact to do any of those things. I can feel others emotions, but I can’t affect them from a distance. Lydia and Allison were both hesitant to let me use them as practice dummies, but after a few well-placed compliments, and promises of cooking a dinner with all their favorites before Allison leaves for the summer, I got them to agree. And it’s not as hard as I thought it would be. So after they move off to start target practice, I switch focuses. The one that has intrigued me most was the ability to see bonds.

The piece of red string is wrapped around my fingers and I keep playing with it, but I focus moving my power through it and up to my eyes. Amazingly enough I do have a sense of the power I have now. In the few nights of almost zen states, I have felt this, well, pool, for lack of a better term, sitting in my chest. As the power moves through the string and up to my eyes, I feel a twinge, and a tingling right behind my eyelids. Then I open my eyes. At first everything appears in a haze, then it is almost like I am seeing in HD. Colors are brighter and more defined. 

The strings that connect everyone are the brightest of all. At first it looks like yarn draped from one person to another. As I start to focus on them a little more, they look more like strings of light. There are few different colors, the one Deaton told me is black to show the pack bond. And all of us have a black thread attaching us to everyone else coming from our heads. A blue strand connects Peter and Derek. I am not sure what it means, but when I poke at it I get a sense of familiarity. Home. It must mean family. The rest of us all have blue lines coming off of us and going out into the distance. Looks like walls and physical objects don’t interfere with the line of the bond. They both look at me when I poke it and I hold up the piece of red string wrapped around my fingers. Derek says something to the others, but I can’t hear it. 

That must be a side effect of being able to see the bonds. I don’t like losing one of my senses, but I am safe and I will have to tell the others later. The next color I notice is red in color. This one connects Erica to Boyd and Lydia to Jackson and it comes from their hearts. Peter has a red line coming off of him, but it ends after a few feet. The end looks frayed. If I remember right, Derek told me he lost his wife in the fire. I think this color means mate. But I don’t see that one going between Derek and I. There is one though that none of the others share that he and I do. A white line linking our chests. It comes from where most people think their soul is. As if it were a tangible thing. This might be the True Mate bond. I still have to look that up, and maybe ask Peter about it. He seemed intrigued when I had mentioned it in front of him before. 

Finally I close my eyes again and unwind my power from my eyes and back through the string to pool it back in my chest. When I open them again, my vision is back to normal and I can hear again. Derek is looking at me with concern but I just smile goofily at him. This whole magic thing is kinda awesome. I still have the shield focus, but I am feeling kind of tired after all that. I think the others sense that, and call it quits for the day.

We all split up to go our separate ways, and Derek is driving me back to my house. Isaac got a ride from Erica and Boyd. Once I am in the Camaro, my eyes drift closed, and when I open them again I am in my bed and Derek’s back is walking towards the door. “Stay.”

He turns to look at me. “I can’t your dad let me in and is expecting me to leave.”

“Then come back through the window. I want to tell you what I saw today.”

He nods and I close my eyes again. There is faint talking downstairs and I hear the door close. Then not five minutes later, my window is opening and a warm body behind me on my bed. Derek’s arms wrap around me and his warmth makes me drowsy again. “I think I got the hang of looking at bonds today.” All I get is a sound urging me to go on. “I think I have a grasp on what they all mean. And when I tugged at the one between you and Peter, you both sensed it. But there is a downside to using that particular super power. I can’t hear anything when I am in that state. I think it takes all my senses and dulls them, but makes my sight a thousand times better. It was like seeing everything in HD. Is that was looking through your eyes is like? If so that would be really distracting.” 

He chuckles a little behind me. “Sleep, Stiles. You have school in the morning.”

I want to but there is one more question that has been burning through my mind since we talked about it. “I will, but I want to ask you something first.” The seriousness of my tone must convey enough, that he doesn’t react, just waits for me to continue. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I really don’t want there to be any secrets between us, and it has been on my mind for a few days now… Why don’t you want me to receive the bite?” He stills behind me, my thumb is rubbing over this hand where our fingers are entwined. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“No, I do. It’s just-“ I emit comfort and love, hoping that I don’t need the focus for this. When he relaxes more against me he starts talking. “It’s not something I like to think about. It’s actually why my eyes were blue when I was a Beta. They turned that way because I did something that I will never be able to forgive myself for. Her name was Paige. And when I looked at her for the first time, I fell in love. Not like it is with you, this was more puppy love. I can tell that now.” I let out a gentle chuckle, so does he. “But at the time I thought it was true love. She was human, and had no idea about what I was. She resisted me at first, but back then, I was a bit more carefree. A mixture of Jackson and Isaac. Cocky, but insecure. I tried to impress her, and eventually I wore her down. And she fell in love with me. She was the first person outside the pack that I opened up to. She was my first in every sense.” There is a bit of jealousy in me, but I quickly stamp it out. This was before us, before when he was untainted. And that makes me happy to think about. That at some point in his life he could have loved without the scars that made him who he is today.

“Our romance was quick. We were fifteen, and I wanted nothing more than to open up to her about everything. But I was afraid. Afraid how she would react when she did find out what I am. Peter was probably the closest thing I had to a best friend back then, besides Laura. He convinced me that I should have her bitten, and then she wouldn’t leave because she would be like me too. His advice was probably the worst, yet I trusted his misguided judgment. But I knew my mother wouldn’t do it. I knew she wouldn’t just turn someone. But there were a few packs in town. My mother was a strong Alpha, and many other packs looked to her for guidance. So I went to one of them and asked if he would do this for me. He had recently lost a pack member and I think he thought it would earn him my mother’s favor. By the time I got to her, she was already rejecting the bite. She was dying. It was my fault, and I didn’t know what to do. But I couldn’t just leave her. So I took her to this old root cellar out in the woods, and tried to leach her pain away, hoping that it would help. There she told me she knew I was different. She suspected what I was, but stayed with me anyway. All of it was in vain. She was suffering so much, she asked me to help her end it. So I killed her.” There is a wetness on the back of my neck and the only thing I can do is pull his arms tighter around me, assuring him that I am still there, and that I won’t leave.

“I held her body for hours. I am not sure exactly how long I was there, but eventually my mother came. She told me she knew what I had done, and she wasn’t mad. She should have been furious with me. But instead she helped me move Paige’s body, and let her be seen as a victim of an animal attack. My eyes turned from the amber/gold to ice blue. They turn that color when you take the life of an innocent. I wanted Paige to love me, and not be afraid, so I essentially gave her the bite, and she died. She already knew and I killed her. So I won’t ever take that chance with you. She meant so much to me, but you mean more, and I won’t risk your life like that. Never.” His voice is hoarse when he is done talking and I roll over so my head is resting on his shoulder. And my hands grab at the shirt he is wearing. I don’t want him to leave. I want him to stay, not only for myself, but for him too. He needs this as much as I do.

“Stay until I fall asleep?” The nod of his head and the almost crushing grip of his arms around me are my answer. As I start to drift off I hear him humming a tune that sounds familiar but I can’t place it. I won’t ever ask for the bite. Not after a confession like that. He needs me as much as I am finding I need him. And that is enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here I give laughter and tears. Peter is still kind of a creeper, but he is not crazy. I am so having fun with all the little red riding hood jokes. I know that they can be over done sometimes but I can't help myself. I wanted to keep the whole Paige thing, I like how it explains some of Derek's characteristics even before Kate was in his life. She plays an important role in who he becomes, and I wanted to share that a bit better. And not at all the way it was shared in the show. Plus having Derek open up is important too. It shows he not only loves Stiles, but trusts him with major details about his life. So Derek is becoming more of a talker during this part of the story. They are still getting to know each other, and there will be many more fluff scenes like this one as the story unravels. 
> 
> Please tell me what you think! I love to hear what you guys have to say! Do you agree or disagree with me on what i have done so far?


	3. Chapter 3

Waking up the next morning isn’t as nice as the last few mornings. First off because the alarm won’t shut up, and secondly, because when I actually do get up I am alone in the bed. The sheets are still warm, but cool enough to know that Derek left about an hour ago. I stretch and go shower and grab a bite to eat before I am out the door.

At school I am there, but I barely pay attention. Everyone is acting like nothing happened. I mean there is still the chatter about Jackson, but that still only lasts half the day. Everything before lunch is just a blur. Then at lunch everyone sits together. I see Scott out of the corner of my eye, and he sits with some of the guys on the team. He looks like he wants to sit down with us, but none of the others act like the see him. Except Allison. She caught me before class started and told me that she broke up with him. I know that she doesn’t want it to be permanent but if he can’t pull his head out of his ass, then I don’t see them getting back together.

The rest of the pack rallies around me and her though, and I feel better. But they all notice how quiet I am, and the sad thing is, I don’t even know why I am acting this way. After school I send feelers out through all the bonds to the pack and when I finally figure out who it is that is causing this I rush to where he is.

When I get to the old Hale house, or should I say, where the old Hale house stood, I see Derek standing there talking to some contractors. Waiting by the forest line is hard, and when I feel a tug on the bond I dash to his side. He is still talking, but when I get to him, his arm slips around my waist and I lean into him lending him my strength. They finally walk away, and I pull him into a hug. “Why didn’t you tell me you were doing this today? I would have skipped and been here the whole time.”

“Exactly.” I chuckle lightly into his neck. 

“Still you shouldn’t have to do this alone. I know it’s hard.”

“It is, but…” I love that I know him so well now. He doesn’t have to say anything and I know what he means. Well, most of the time anyway.

“I know. It’s like a clean slate.”

“Yeah.” We don’t say much more. Just being close to one another is enough. “So want to go back to my place. I think I have a few things you might like to look at.” I just give him a nod and we head back to my jeep. The drive is quiet but again, it’s comfortable. He leads us up to his loft, and goes into his room. The view from his windows is amazing. The inside is very industrial it looks out onto the small business section of Beacon Hills. You can see the preserve from here and all the way out into the forest. 

When he comes back out there are quite a few books on the table and I go to my own backpack and grab the one that is missing from the collection. “I know you said I could keep it, but I thought that you might like to read it first.” He takes the book from my hands and leans in to give the corner of my mouth a kiss. 

“Thank you.” Then, I kind of get into research mode. There are questions that I still need answers to. Before I know it there is a plate of food in front of me and I hardly taste is as it goes in my mouth. I am so absorbed in the book I am reading. It is about the Hale history. How they came to Beacon Hills, why they came, and I am amazed to find out that they were one of the first peoples to settle here. They even predate the first gold miners. The Hales lived here when the west was still wild, even the American revolution was still going on. It is fascinating. 

“Stiles, it’s time for bed.” When I look up, it is dark outside, and the clock on the wall says it is almost midnight. I can’t even believe that I was reading for that long. 

“I’m sorry, you needed me and I was wrapped up in a book the whole time I was here.”

He lets out a bark of a laugh. “I kind of figured that would happen. And you just being here was all I needed. But now you have to get off to bed. School tomorrow.”

“You’re right. I should get home.”

“Nope, you are staying here. It’s late.”

“But dad-“

“I already cleared it with the Sheriff. Now come on.” Smiling I move off to the bathroom to brush my teeth. With my own toothbrush. Derek thought of everything. In his bedroom, I rummage around his closet and dresser until I find a shirt and a pair of sweatpants. They are a bit big but I don’t really care. They smell like him, and that makes me happy. Crawling into bed I take my usual spot as little spoon and he curls around me. 

“This is nice. Be there when I wake up this time. I didn’t like it this morning when you weren’t there.”

“I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Next time wake me.” He hums in acceptance, and we fall off into sleep.

…

I take some of the books with me in the morning on my way to school and snag one of Derek’s shirts to wear over yesterday’s jeans. Isaac is making coffee and I offer him a ride to school which he accepts. The rest of the day goes on like usual. Classes are boring, teachers annoying, and I just can’t wait to get home to read. The Pack notices I am wearing one of Derek’s shirts, but says nothing. I do hear Jackson start to say something about being a kept boy, but Lydia and Erica both slap him upside the head at exactly the same time. Pack life is great.

I drop Isaac off at the loft and go home. These books are burning a hole in my bag and I can’t wait to crack them all open and try reading them all at once. I have been known to do that. But that was when still needed my Adderall. I noticed that I have needed it less and less as these last few months have gone by. And now I am attributing it to the fact that I am mated to a werewolf. Just another perk. 

As I delve into more werewolf history and knowledge I actually do come across a reference to the True Alpha. It makes note of saying there is more information, although limited in one of the other books. I quickly look through the ones I have, and thank all the deities I can think of that I have it with me. 

Skimming through the book proves harder than the other. It is a hand written one and although the script is legible it is still harder to read then the typed words. Whoever wrote this one though took care with it. Not being overly evasive on certain topics and not being entirely helpful on others. That is unless you can read between the lines and have a good sense of seeing the truth were none might exist. Both of which I am masters of. When I finally get to the part that talks about True Mates and True Alphas, there isn’t much information available. But it isn’t from lack of written material; it is from a lack of knowledge. 

What it does say, is that True Alpha doesn’t take the power from another. A True Alpha is a Beta, who by their own sheer force of will and strength of not only heart, but character, are able to breech the line of power and gain the Alpha status. It also goes on to say that True Alphas are more powerful than a normal Alpha. This is because they didn’t have to steal the power, or have it passed to them. It comes from a source within them. It actually sounds a bit like having the Gift. The wolf wills themself to be stronger, and if they prove themselves worthy of it then they are grated the power. 

Derek refused to kill his uncle, even though he really didn’t have any other options. He was going to try and look for one. But Chris took that option from him. He knew that Scott would need guidance, and that he couldn’t leave because I was there. But if he stayed he would have gone Omega. So he proved himself worthy of the Alpha title. The passage also says that True Alphas are a rare thing. And that they possess a purple eye color. Red is the normal Alpha color symbolizing an advanced power, but because of the pure concentrated power a True Alpha possesses, it enhances the spectrum to one of its most intense points. Only one has been known of in the last two-hundred years. 

Below this there is something that looks like it was started to be written, but was then erased. The indentations aren’t enough to make out, but two words are plainly visible, True Mates. A groan of frustration lets out of my throat and then there is a knock on my window. Thinking that it’s Derek, I turn to go and open it. I thought I left it unlocked, but it isn’t Derek. It’s Peter. My feet are frozen to the floor. And he can tell. He points down and then jumps from the roof. Then the doorbell rings. 

Slowly I make way downstairs and hold a hand up to the pentacle that I have tied around my neck with a piece of leather. Figured it would be best to keep that one close at all times. Thankful that Derek isn’t here, or even my dad, I open the door. First I am hit with a wave of gratitude, and then one of over confidence. “If you are here to talk down to me Peter, save it for another day, I’m not in the mood.”

“Actually I came by to see if I could give you some information.” The quizzical look on my face must say everything. “Maybe we should step inside.” My feet are moving before I am conscious of it again. Sometimes I can be so uncoordinated. I get us drinks from the kitchen and come back to the living room to find him sitting on the couch. His usual air of wit and charm is gone and he has a serious look on his face. 

“So what information do you have that I might want?”

“I saw you were reading Talia’s book. The one she wrote.”

“Derek’s mother wrote it?” 

“Yes, my sister always did like the pen and paper better than a keyboard. She was always so in tune with nature. Never even had a cell phone. She never got to finish the book though.”

“It looks like some of it was erased.”

“Yes, what was written in there came from personal knowledge and the knowledge that was passed down in our family. The children of the pack not only had human nursery rhymes and bed time stories, but wolf ones as well. I think one of the books that survived has most of those in it. But as for the part that was erased, I am afraid that was my own doing.”

“Why?”

“It was false information. But I do know the truth of True Mates. Would you like to hear a story?” I roll my eyes at him, but settle into the loveseat and wait for him to start. “So you know the human version of Little Red Riding Hood, well this is a slightly different version. And it is why I love your preference for the color.” The groan comes from my mouth before I can stop it. I knew I was going to regret this.

“So in the human tale of the story, Little Red faces down the wolf that wears her grandmother’s skin, and the woodsman comes to kill the wolf in the end. But in what I like to think of as the real account of the story, the girl in red isn’t a girl at all. But a young woman. And she lives in the forest. She meets a wolf, and befriends it. A bond grows between the two and the villagers of a nearby village call the woman a witch, and try to kill her. But the bond has grown so strong, that the wolf protects the woman. He shifts into a more human form and saves her. The wolf carriers her away deep into the woods, and there he keeps her for many weeks. The woman thanks the wolf, and pledges to stay with him and protect him, just like he did for her. He manages to stay in his new half wolf form until the night of the full moon and its silvery light hits him, and he is forced back into his true wolf form. There was a woodsman in the village who vowed to see this wolf dead, and followed them into the forest. He watched over them and saw the wolf as a monster. The wolf was able to become the wolf-man again the next morning and the man left, knowing when he would need to strike. When he came back to the village he told them what he saw. And the villagers were enraged. They decided on the next full moon they would go into the forest and kill the wolf and the woman because they were unnatural.”

“But in that month that they had to wait, the wolf and the woman fell in love. Their bond grew so deep that they could feel each other in a way that was beyond words. It was pure. It was true. When the next full moon came, the villagers came, and the woodsman led the charge. The woman was defenseless and the wolf was unable to protect her. He howled with all of his might and even under the light of the moon he transformed into a full man, shedding the wolf skin completely. But it was too late. They had already killed his love, and it threw him into a rage. He lost himself to the wolf instinct, and slew many of his would be killers. But the woodsman bested him. Before the wolf died, he uttered his first and last words. ‘Our love was true. It always will be.’” I am lost for words, and I can feel tears prickling at my eyes. There are even tears prickling at Peter’s. “There is much that can be gathered from the story. The wolf and the woman met by chance, but their fate was destined for them. They were to be together, but they were also to die together. Through my travels as a younger man, I came across many different versions of the story, from all over the world. But his words are always the same.”

“’Our love was true. It always will be.’” My voice is raspy with emotion.

“Yes. True Mates are destined for each other. They are not always with an Alpha, and they are not always both wolves. But whoever they may be, they are each strong in their own right. That is what the silver rim on his eyes represents. The light of the moon kept in a human form. He recognizes you as his mate, and you back to him. Any wolf with a True Mate will gain that same silver in their eyes. But it is a rare thing to occur. Not quite as rare as a True Alpha, but rare enough. Wolves mate for life, and so do our kind. But we are able to choose our mates. Our natural instinct guides us to people who would be a good match for us, but ultimately the decision is ours. With True Mates, there isn’t a choice. You can live without each other, but you would always feel a void in your life. Feel a space that can’t be filled by anyone or anything else. I meant what I said about you being a part of the family. And I am happy for you and Derek. If anyone needed you as a mate, it was him. He has kept the weight of all his past decisions on his shoulders, and I know that I haven’t helped at all. If he wants me to leave the pack then I will. I am sorry I have used him the way I have in the past, and I can only try to make up for my past faults.”

“I know that Peter. On some level I think he knows it too, whether he will admit it or not. Thank you for giving me this information. It helps immensely. Give Derek some time. He is wary, but I know he wants you there. He wants to trust you again.”

“Trust isn’t something my nephew just gives out these days.” He says it with such sadness, but I can hear the tone of hope under the surface.

“No, he doesn’t and for good reasons. But I told him that I won’t allow him to wallow in the past. I want him to look back and remember with fondness and love. Not hatred and sadness.”

“I want that for him too.”

“Good.” I stand up. “I will be right back.” Quickly I make my way upstairs and I grab the book that Talia wrote and race back downstairs. Then I hold the book out to Peter with a pen. “Would you fill in the information you have just told me?”

He looks hesitant. “Don’t you think that Derek or yourself should do that?”

“No. You should. This is something you can pass down to future generations of this pack. Knowledge that only you possessed until twenty minutes ago. It is something that you should document.” He nods and takes the book from me. 

“Thanks Red.” The glint in his eye that is vaguely reminiscent of the crazy Alpha. I think that it is more of himself. I don’t know whether it’s a good or a bad thing.

“I am never going to hear the end of the Little Red Riding Hood jokes, am I?”

“Probably not.” I sigh in defeated and prepare myself for the long line of bad jokes to come. Maybe this is how the others feel about my dog jokes. Oh well I think it is something I can live with.

…

Peter leaves and it lets me think about all that he said. On one hand I am scared of what being a Mate means. I am scared that I won’t be able to live up to what is expected of me. Of what is needed of me. But then on the other hand, I am on cloud nine. I am so blissed out that this was predestined and that I will have Derek for forever. 

I have always wanted what my parents had. An undiluted and unabashed love for one another. They would do anything to keep the other happy. Even when mom was going through her Chemo treatments, they would be sickenly adorable. I guess I was like nine at the time, so that stuff would be gross then. But now I know that is exactly what I want. And I know that Derek will be able to give me it. We just have to get him over his self-denial stage, and make him accept that he deserves good things in his life. 

Dad texts me to say that he is going to be home late tonight and that I shouldn’t wait up. So I tell him that I will have leftovers waiting for him in the fridge. And I ask if Derek can spend the night. He reluctantly agrees, but I can tell that he is starting to like Derek. I knew it was only a matter of time. Derek is quite the charmer when he wants to be. 

So I then text Derek that he should come over, and that Isaac should come too. He says they will be there in time for dinner. So I get to making it. Homemade pizza with ground turkey and lots of veggies. And a smaller one with only pepperoni for Isaac. Dad doesn’t have to know. By the time they get there I am putting the pizza on the table and Isaac digs in right away. 

Derek smiles, and tucks in too. I love seeing this side of him. I love that he is letting it out. He is letting go of some of his inner demons. After dinner we go into the living room to watch a movie, and Derek tenses up right away. He can smell Peter. Isaac sees the tension and just goes up the stairs. I feel bad that he will have to hear us fight again, but there can’t be much done about it. This was a conversation that had to happen at some point. 

“What was he doing here.” Growly Derek. 

“He came over to give me a few answers I was looking for. He actually did help.”

“I don’t care what he had to say. He should have waited until I was here to come and talk to you.”

“He won’t hurt me.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do. He is trying to be better.”

“I don’t trust him.”

“I know you don’t. I am not saying that I do one-hundred percent either, but I am trying to give him the benefit of the doubt here. I think he deserves a second chance, and on some level so do you, otherwise you would have never allowed him to join the pack.” His scowl is prominent, and the mask is back in place. “Don’t do that. Don’t pull up that mask just because you are angry. He needs us. Needs you. He wants to make amends for his crimes. I am not saying that you should forgive him overnight, or that he shouldn’t have to work for it. But I think you should give him a chance.”

“Why?”

“What if I hadn’t believed you that night you came into my room? When you said you weren’t with Peter. How would that have made you feel? You know that I am pretty blunt with the way I feel about people, and that I have no problem telling them. What if I hadn’t given you a chance? Things would be so much different.”

“It’s not the same.”

“Yes it is. Not in the same context, but it is the same. You asked me to forgive you for pretty much lying to me. He wants forgiveness for things that he really had no control over. You heard what he said, the fire burned away his personality leaving only instinct. I can’t know how that feels, but I bet you have some idea. When the instinct is so strong that there is no resisting it.” As I make my argument his face softens and resolve crumbles. “Just give him a chance. He did give me a few answers.”

I hand Derek the book his mother wrote, and open it up to the pages about True Alpha’s, and True Mates. He keeps his facial expressions pretty well schooled, but I can feel how he reacts to the information. It is much the same way I did. Fear and happiness. It makes for a strange combination. When his eyes meet mine again, they are a bright violet and burning with love. I take the book from his hands and pull him into a gentle kiss, which he takes over and possesses my mouth and tongue with his own. “You guys done fighting now?”

We pull away from each other and laugh. “Yeah, it’s safe Isaac. You can come down now.” Then I look back to Derek. “We are good right? You won’t push him away?”

A deep sigh comes from his chest. “No I won’t. But he better not touch you. Ever. And I still don’t trust him.”

Isaac pops in the movie and when I go to sit with him on the couch, Derek surprises both of us by sitting between the two of us. He puts an arm around Isaac pulling him close, and takes one of my hands in his. I give him a soft smile, and lay my head on his shoulder. Isaac’s grin is so bright that I have to take out the wooden heart to try and full focus away from the emotion he -is emitting. 

…

Deaton calls me the next day to ask if I am available for a training session after work. I am pretty excited about starting this training. Derek is a bit apprehensive, the last few days have been going through so many highs and lows. We ended up fighting about Peter again that night before he left, but he did give in. He was supposed to speak to Peter today while the rest of us were in school. 

Derek has taken to picking me up in the mornings for school. At first I was mad because I wasn’t able to drive my baby, but make-out sessions in the Camaro before class are so totally worth it. So when he picks me up from school we head straight over to Deaton’s When we go in the back he has a bit of floor space cleared away and a few powders and other bits set out on the table. 

“So today I want us to start with making a stronger circle of protection. The mountain ash line is good against the supernatural, but any human may cross it. The barrier I am going to teach you takes a bit more than just laying the ash in a circle and willing it to work. This one draws on a bit of you power. Since you have a predilection for shield magic, I think this spell should be right up your ally.” I nod and look over at the ingredients and start to rub the pentacle through my shirt. Then I feel my power flow through me into my focus. I can hear Deaton talking but I don’t know what he is saying. He gives me a confused look but then sees something in me and steps to the side. Derek speaks up now, and I can actually hear him.

“What is going on? Why aren’t you doing anything?” Deaton responds and Derek relaxes a bit. Lips are near my ear, “He says to let the magic guide you. You will know what to do. Just be careful okay.”

Stepping forward to the supplies he has laid out, I drop my hand from the focus. It is on the outside of my shirt now, not sure how that happened, but I can feel that I am still using it. So I start to grab powders and small crystals, putting them into the mortar to grind them together. There is a knife on the table and I prick the end of my finger to let a drop of my blood into the mixture, and hold my hand out for Derek, who instantly pulls the finger in his mouth to stop the bleeding. At first it looks like the blood will clump the ingredients together, but after a minute it just seems to be soaked up. 

Moving to the empty corner of the room, I start to spread this new protection out. And when I am finished, I let the power flow back out of the focus. What I look down to see is a small circle, about three feet wide, and a pentacle inside. There are a few smaller designs inside as well, and somehow I am able to recognize that they are more symbols of protection. They infuse the four elements and the mind as the fifth into the protection. 

“Well done.”

“What did I just do?”

“You let your power guide you. There are things that I won’t be able to teach you, Stiles. Things that you will have to learn on your own. Mostly this is due to the fact that no two people share the Gift in the same ways. The way we each make use of it is different. I believe that with your abilities for protection, your Gift came out, and showed you what you needed to know. This is a pretty basic spell, most of us can use. Only those whose blood goes into the mixture may cross the line at will. But it must be drawn up and not just laid down.”

“So you can do this too?”

“Yes, and no.”

“What does that even mean?” He is doing that answer not an answer thing.

“I mean that yes I can do this, but not on the level that you have done. You added an extra protection to this circle. The four elements, earth, air, water, and fire, with an added protection from the mind. I believe that this circle would not only stop anyone from crossing, but just about anything.”

“How did I know to do that?” I take my phone out and snap a few pictures. Totally want to be able to do this again.

“Your power guided you, it told you how it needed to be done.”

“So, while you will be able to teach me simple stuff like this, most of this is going to be a self-study kind of learning?”

“Precisely.”

“Okay then. What else you got for me Doc?”

“I think that is enough for today. But I do have a list of basic supplies that all people with the Gift should have.” He hands it over and along with the name of the material is a price. Most of them are pretty inexpensive, or can be gathered from the woods in the preserve. But then I reach a few others, and my eyes buldge.

“Really!? There is no way I can afford this. How can I spend that much money? I don’t even have that much money.” Derek takes the paper out of my hands and looks it over.

“He needs all of this?”

“If he wants a basic supply of materials used in most spells, yes.”

“Is there more that he should have?” I can’t believe this conversation is happening without me.

“There are a few more things, but I can tell you that they only get more expensive.” Oh, wait. Yes I can.

“Can you get them?”

“Yes.”

“Do it.” Deaton nods and move to his office.

“Derek! You can’t just buy all that for me. That is way too much money. And you are making him get more! I can’t take this.”

“What’s mine is yours.” And that right there is how I know I have already lost this argument before it started. I look into his eyes, and there is a steely resolve with a lot of love. He won’t back down on this. 

“I am going to pay you back. I don’t know when, but I will.”

“Stiles,” he moves forward and cups my head in his hands, “What’s mine is yours.” His lips brush mine and I give in. He is so freaking sweet that I can’t even argue about this. I pull back just enough to talk, my lips still against his.

“Thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of information! I am so happy to finally reveal it! This is my take on being True Mates. I am not sure if it has ever been done before, but this is the way I wanted to do it. Plus you finally find out why his eyes are Purple! I am not really a fan of the red alpha eye color, so I wanted something different. Also I loved writing Peter in this chapter. Just enough creepy to stay, but coming up with the werewolf nursery rhyme was a lot of fun. 
> 
> As always please let me know if you liked it! I always like to know what you guys think!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, sexy times ahead! It is clearly marked at the beginning and the end so if you don't want to read it you don't have to.

The rest of the school year passed by without much change. Mr. Harris was a dick, training with Deaton and the pack progressed nicely, and things finally had a chance to settle. For the last three months there has always been a threat hanging over our heads. First it was psycho Alpha Peter, then the Kanima, and the Hunters. But now that all of those threats are gone, things are actually peaceful. 

But not everything is perfect. Don’t get me wrong. There are still many issues that have yet to be resolved. Scott hasn’t talked to anyone in the pack, and doesn’t look to be wanting to anytime soon. I am worried that he will fall to become an Omega soon. And with our luck there will be some great big threat ready to drop on us at any second. He will be alone and weaker than he would be with us a pack. Derek and I have talked many hours about this fact. He knows that I still consider Scott my brother, and I probably always will. But I can’t let his transgressions against the pack to just be let go without thought. He still needs to ask and earn forgiveness, not only from myself, but from everyone in the pack. 

Then there is the whole Peter issue. Derek still hasn’t made him feel like a welcome member of the pack, but at the same time he does include him in pack meetings and training. Most of this is encouraged by me, but surprisingly enough Isaac has been talking with Peter as well. Isaac really has risen to being Derek’s second and head Beta. He is still a puppy and will always be one to me, but after watching him this last month, he has gained a fierceness about him. He is almost as protective of the pack as I am. He, like Derek, has come to think of the pack as his family. All of us have, but this is the only family they have, and they take that to heart. Isaac and I have also been helping Derek to open up more to the other pack members. He does special one-on-one training with each of them, as well as takes a more vested role in each of their lives. When Final Exams for the semester were coming up, he put a pause on the regular training and had us all form a study group. Even he and Peter helped us where they could. The pack has become a lot closer because of it too. They all look at Derek as a leader, but also as a friend. 

Jackson had a really hard time transitioning into pack life. He resisted talking to us and trusting us. His attitude never really went away, but it has also become more bark than bite (Dog jokes, still funny). Derek and he even went off into the woods for a weekend once, and when they came back Jackson was more relaxed. He even went so far once that one time when I was walking down the hallway and some asshole rammed into me on purpose, the next day the dude came to school with a black eye. I haven’t heard the whole story, but Lydia said she had to drag Jackson off of him, or he would have had much more serious injuries. He played it off saying that only he was allowed to knock me around, and I didn’t feel the need to make a jab at him. He really is just like the other Betas even if he won’t admit it.

Puppy piles are also a more common occurrence now. It usually happens after a training session, and we all end up back at Derek’s or my place. We watch movies, eat, and just hang out. But we are all on top of each other, sprawled, laying, and cuddling with each other. Derek still hasn’t joined in yet though. He always takes a chair further off from the group. Sometimes I don’t let him sit by himself and I will crawl over on his lap, usually Isaac follows and sits by his legs, but he never joins us in the mess of bodies. I can see that they others are starting to get distressed by it. Well not see so much as feel. They are all happy, but then there is always an undercurrent of something else. I don’t think that Derek has felt it, and every time I try to bring it up to him, he always brushes the topic aside or tries to distract me with something else. 

For as much as he has opened up, there is still something holding him back. It is another thing that he won’t talk to me about, but I think it has to do with his family. I think he is worried that if he gets too close to us, and lets himself feel that way again, then it will be ripped from him. Even our more private interactions have been getting less frequent lately. He is still affectionate and loving, but there is a fear there. I have tried to reassure him that everything will be okay, but nothing seems to be working. 

The Hale house is coming along nicely. It will take most of the summer to finish it. We had a few really wet weeks and that has pushed back the planning a bit, but everything is still moving along. At night I have snuck into the construction site and started laying runes on the ground work and in the basement. I want to give Derek that extra bit of security, that he won’t lose this house a second time.

My powers have been advancing in leaps and bounds. I don’t even really need the focus for my empathy anymore. It has become almost second nature. I can even turn it off if I want to. I don’t like to be too intrusive with everyone, but they have also come to accept that they can’t really hide anything from me. My basic skills have come far as well. Making a mountain ash barrier requires almost no thought at all, and I have been able to manipulate it to greater effects as well. Not only can I make it so no supernatural body can cross it, but I can make anything within it, untraceable and virtually undetectable. It has freaked out the pack the few times I have done it, only because they can’t hear my heartbeat or pick up my scent when I make it happen. But it is good to know that such a thing is possible. My barrier magic has been more of a slow process, but I am getting better with that too. I have managed to make a sort of shield around myself that is almost a second skin. I can take a hit better because of it, and it is even scratch resistant to the pack’s claws, and Allison’s arrows. Now I am trying to figure out a way to focus enough to transfer the shield to someone else, and eventually hold multiple up at the same time. I don’t want to have to ever use it, but I also want to be prepared for the worse. 

Dad took finding out about my magic about as well as I expected. He grounded me for a week. He was going to do more, but I convinced him, that the magic was there, and that it gave me an edge against all the supernatural shit out there, he relented, and gave his blessing. Deaton and I have even started on working on a weapon for myself. Allison really wanted me to try a bow, but I just don’t think that I have the focus required to gain the type of dedication she has to the art. Instead I have taken one of my old lacrosse sticks and Deaton and I have been inscribing runes on it to make it stronger. This way I can use it as a club and it won’t just shatter against a wolf, and also as a way to bring out a focus for some of the more difficult spells. I also wanted the stick, because I have been looking up ways to make wolfsbane bombs, and other things like that so when it comes to a fight, I am not just standing on the sidelines trying to stay out of the way. I have had a few successes, and Lydia has taken to helping me with them. Her chemistry genius has been most welcome. 

I have also started thinking about telling Danny everything. He would be a great asset to the pack, and it would give Jackson someone else to talk to about all of this. I don’t know if he would want the bite, but I am not really thinking about that. Isaac seems to know what I have been thinking, and has been talking to Danny more too. At first I thought it was because he was attracted to Danny, but now I can see that it is more to make him feel welcome with us. And I know that staying with Derek has been really good for him. Dad has even taken to calling him and Derek son when they are over at the house. The first time it happened, I think Isaac almost started crying, and Derek just kept his reaction inside. But later that night he let me see one tear fall from his eye. 

The only things that have been really out of place are these nightmares that I keep having. Deaton says that they are going to be normal for a while as my powers settle, but they keep getting worse. I haven’t said anything to the others, and I asked him not to as well. I don’t want to worry them if it’s nothing. Derek hasn’t been spending the nights in my bed, and for once I am grateful. I wake in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Sometimes I am crying when I wake, and others are I digging my nails so hard into the palms of my hands I am drawing blood. It has been happening for about two weeks now, and they only continue to get worse. 

Last night’s dream was the worst one yet. I wake in the dream to find myself in a small dark cramped space. I started banging on the top of the box and I am screaming so much that I go hoarse. There are claw marks on the sides of the walls, and my fingers are bleeding. Then when the top opens, I rush out only to find myself in the school hallway. There are so many people around, but none of them will look at me. There is still blood streaked across my hands and clothes, but everyone just ignores me. I try to talk to a few people, but their faces all avert from me. So I lash out and strike the closest one too me. They drop to the floor dead. Then another, and another. Eventually after killing most of them I am running out the doors and I find myself in the woods. There is someone screaming in the distance and I am chasing the noise. Twigs and underbrush rip at my legs, and pierce the bottoms of my bare feet. The screaming gets worse, and when I finally make it through the trees, there is a huge wolf crowding over a dead body. He looks up at me and then howls at the visible moon. It chases me back through the trees, and I don’t know how I am not getting caught. He is playing with me before he kills me. I get to another clearing, and this one has a woman in it. She is familiar, but I can’t place her. She is holding a heart in one hand and a torch in another. When she throws the torch behind her it hits a house that is immediately up in flames and then has a knife in her hand and stabs the heart. I start to seize and fall to the ground, writhing in pain and there is no one there to help me. That is when wake up for real. I am shaking so bad that I can’t move. My chest hurts like I was the one that was stabbed. Dad comes in the room. I must have been screaming, and when he comes to touch me, I scream louder, and fight him off. 

I spend all night in the corner of my room huddled in a ball just trying to draw in steady breaths. Derek arrives at some point and tried to comfort me, but I react the same when he touches me. It feels like needles stabbing me over and over again all over my body. It makes me want to rip off my skin and I just pull myself into a tighter ball. Light finally comes through the windows and I am finally aware of my surroundings. “Derek?”

“I’m here.” His voice sounds ragged. And when I look up I can see the fear in his eyes. But I can’t feel anything. I am just so numb. It scares me at first, but then it is a welcome feeling. I can’t feel anything right now, if I did I think it might kill me. “What can I do Stiles? I need to help you. What can I do?”

“I need to see Deaton.” He nods and pulls out his phone. As he talks I pull myself stiffly from the corner, and I can hear small pops and cracks all along my bones. My muscles are tense and that numb feeling is sitting at the tips of my fingers and toes. 

“He said he will meet us there. I’ll go down and get the car. Do you need anything?” All I can give him in return is a shake of my head. He is hurting, and I am the one causing it, yet there is nothing I can do to comfort him. I can’t even comfort myself. When he leaves, I change my clothes, and pull together a bag of things I think I might need. I have a feeling that I won’t be home for a little while, but I don’t want to alarm anyone. 

When I pass dad in the kitchen he looks even more worried than Derek and quietly says goodbye. I think I should hug him, but then I remember the pain that flares up when they tried to touch me, and I let the though pass. There should be guilt there. I know the feeling well, and I know that I should be feeling it, but it isn’t there. Then I know that I should be scared, but that feeling doesn’t appear either. The numbness is preventing me from feeling anything. I think I know what has happened, but I need Deaton to confirm it. He has been in contact with one of his colleagues, a fellow empath. He has had a bit of useful information for me on what to expect in terms of coming into this power, but he lives a more solitary life, and doesn’t know how being part of a wolf pack will affect me.

The drive to Deaton’s is quite, and I can see that Derek is tense. I used to be able to feel the tension, but now all I feel is nothing. When we get there Deaton ushers me back to his office, but I ask Derek to say out front. I need to do this, and I know he will try to stop me. 

“My powers have gone beyond control, haven’t they?” I ask after I tell him about my dream.

“Not beyond control, but you are losing some of the control you have when you are not conscious. Not an uncommon thing for people with the Gift.”

“Yeah, but this is bad. Most people with the Gift don’t have empathy, and aren’t part of a wolf pack. I think their emotions are spilling too much over into me, and I have started to take their dreams as well, more like nightmares actually. The way the dream went, it was like all of the dreams I have had previously, but streamed together into one colossal nightmare. I need to get control over this. I can’t be weak anymore.”

“All right. What do you want me to do?”

I explain my plan to him and he agrees to help me out. This is going to be a very hard week, not only for me but for the pack as well. I have to cut myself off from them while I get my power under control. So while he goes into one of his storage rooms to start making space for what I need, I head back out to the waiting room, where Derek is pacing back and forth. “Hey.”

He sensed me coming out, and walks over to the desk. He tries to go for me but the mountain ash lined wood blocks his entry. This is what I need. He won’t be able to stop me. “What’s wrong, what is it? Stiles, I can’t… what do you need from me?” His voice is pained and straining with every word. I hate to see him like this.

“Nothing. Everything will be okay.”

“What aren’t you telling me?”

“I have to do something. Something that is going to be hard for all of us. But I don’t have a choice Derek, believe me, if I didn’t have to do this I wouldn’t.”

“What are you going to do Stiles? Tell me.” There is panic edging on his voice. And I step forward closer to him. The feeling is starting to return, and it is faint, but I can feel the love for the man standing in front of me. Then I remember why he is my anchor. One of my hands goes up to cup his face, and I draw him in for a quick kiss, ignoring the spike of pain it causes, then pull back before he can pull me over the barrier between us. “Stiles, what are you doing?”

“I have to retreat into myself for a little while. I will come back, but my empathy is too out of control when I am unconscious. It is reaching through the bonds and…”

“Those nightmares you won’t tell me about.”

I give a small laugh. “You won’t sleep in my bed, but you still creep outside my house.”

“Stiles-“

“It’s okay, sourwolf. I love you too.” Deaton comes back and says the room is ready for me. I give one last longing look to Derek and retread back into the storage room. Derek is yelling for me now and I can tell that he has started to shift back and forth. When I get to the room I lay out the circle with the mixture that I made from my first lesson with Deaton. I need a barrier that will keep everyone and everything away. My magic will sustain my body while I am in this state, or at least I hope it will. Derek’s yells get louder and louder, I am afraid that he will wreck the waiting room, but I don’t hear any crashing. I step into the circle right before I finish the last of is and as the opaque dome starts to come up around me I feel the barrier of the mountain ash in the waiting room break. I don’t know how, but Derek broke it. He is running towards me, but they the time he reaches me it is too late. The dome is complete, and I am cut off from the rest of the world. 

Well not completely cut off. After the connection breaks I feel like I can breathe for the first time. I take my phone out and fire off a text to my dad that I will be gone for a week and not to worry. I also send one to Isaac, saying to watch after my dad, and that Derek probably won’t be around much. He sends one back with alarm, and I reply saying that I needed to do this and not to worry too much. Everything will be fine. And that I need him to take care of the pack in my absence. Then I turn my phone off. I need this time to re-attune myself and let all of the recent changes fall into their proper places. 

…

The next few days pass without notice, time doesn’t have meaning anymore. I am in and out of sleep. When I am awake I am meditating and trying to gather my thoughts. There is something always pressing against my consciousness though. A presence, and I can’t determine what it is, but I find that focusing on it helps me gain control again. Trying not to think about the pack and Derek is hard. Now that I have full control of my emotions again, they are all over the place. I find myself going over each nightmare I have had in the last week. Each one is from a different pack member. The wolves anyway. My connection with them has been stronger. 

The first dream is of being trapped in that freezer. Isaac’s father used to punish him by putting him in there and locking the lid closed. The panic that sets in when you can’t get out is unbearable. I never want him to have to feel that way again. I know that he is in a good place now, but I feel the need to reassure him. All of them really. He has done exceptionally well given the circumstances of this life, and although I wish I could eradicate that pain from his life, it has made him who he is today. And I am extremely proud of him for that.

The next dream is Boyd’s. He took the bite to not only be a part of something, but also to gain recognition. He always sat by himself at lunch. He never really had any friends. Even now, he keeps to himself. Not accustomed to talking has made him this strong silent type. When I get out of here I am going to sit down with him and just wait for him to say something. If he doesn’t want to talk, then I will spend the day in silence with him. Even though I might drive myself crazy in the process. He needs to know that the pack has his back no matter what, and that we will always be there for him.

Jackson’s dream is the one that scares me the most. I am not scared of him, but I am scared for him. He still thinks of himself as a monster. He still thinks that he is going to go crazy and kill everyone. And really, I can’t blame him for feeling like that. He wasn’t in control of himself and that is a scary thing. His life has been about control. I don’t really know how to help him get past this. But I think that being part of the pack and having Lydia at his side are doing him good. Maybe I can get Derek to do some more one-on-one coaching with him. After that weekend they spent out in the woods he came back so much brighter. He too has done well in the face of adversity and has opened up to us even though it went against how he had been living his life all these years. He has come the farthest of everyone in the pack and should be recognized for that.

The monster that appears in the woods could only be Peter. He really is trying to make amends with everyone in the pack, not just Derek. But he finds himself on the outskirts, part of the pack, but still a lone wolf in most regards. I am going to make sure that he feels more included, and when the Hale house is done being built I will suggest to Derek that Peter gets his own room. That might make him feel more welcome. There is only so much I can do to help though. I can’t just force the pack to trust him and expect them to fall in line. The pack isn’t run like that. It never will be.

For as much bravado and confidence that Erica emits, she is still insecure on the inside. Sometimes she still sees herself as that girl with epilepsy, and lets that define her. The wolf has helped her in many ways, but all of her insecurities about herself still remain. Being with Boyd has helped her so much. I think that they may end up as mates in the near future. She really has become a good friend, as close as Isaac and I are. Somehow we always manage to get ourselves into some kind of trouble. And she like Boyd has friends now. Maybe I can convince Lydia and Allison to take her shopping and have a girl’s day out. 

Derek. He won’t talk to me about the past. He knows that I know what happened, and that no one blames him, not even Peter. Kate took advantage of him and used his innocence against him. But he still sees himself at fault and refuses to believe anything else. He still had nightmares about the fire. The memories that Peter gave him all those months ago, they still haunt him. I just want him to let them go. I know that it isn’t something that will happen all at once, but he isn’t even really trying. Isaac says sometimes he still sleeps in the abandoned warehouse. He feels like it’s a punishment he deserves. Whenever I try to talk to him about it, he always shuts down. I have to make him listen, and believe me when I tell him that it isn’t his fault. He has to let me in so I can be there for him. If he doesn’t then I am afraid that this bond we share will suffer for it.

…

After I gain control back, and the bond to my power grows stronger, I think I am finally ready to lower the shield and go back out into the world. As I start to undo the magic that has contained me light starts to filter in and the walls start to drop. I am not sure what to expect when they are completely down, but a massive black wolf is not what I thought I would see. But as soon as I look into his violet eyes, I know that this is Derek. As the circle starts to fade he rushes me and I am knocked over. The wolf is larger than any wolf I have ever seen before. This is the true Alpha form. Not the twisted version that Peter was. The wolf must stand almost to my chest. And when he knocks me down he settles on top of me. There is a growl and then a whine, and I am hit full of emotions from him. Fear, concern, and love are the most predominant. I get flashes of images; they are all from Derek’s perspective. 

I am walking away slowly towards the back of the clinic, and he is shouting for me. He can’t cross the line and Deaton refuses to let him through. He is shifting back and forth from human to Beta. Then he is pushing at the barrier. Using all of his strength and will to get past it. Deaton looks on with mild shock. Derek is winning the fight with the barrier. Then the wood on the door splinters and Derek is through, racing to where I am holed up. He watches me disappear from the world, because that is what it looks like from the outside, that the space I am taking up is just empty. The dome isn’t visible to him. After the dome is closed he howls, howls like I have never heard him howl before. There is rage, and unbearable sadness. Within fifteen minutes the rest of the pack is there, but he glares at them and snarls a warning to stay back. Isaac is the only one who remains, he says something to Derek, I can’t hear the words, but it sounds like he is trying to comfort him. Then he is gone and Derek starts shifting again. He can’t control it. It isn’t long before the wolf takes over and he lays himself against the barrier, trying to get to me. Deaton comes by with food for him every once in a while, but Derek never eats it. 

When I come back to myself, I latch on to the fur at the wolf’s neck and pull myself to him and bury my face in him. “I am so sorry. I am so sorry that I had to do that. I couldn’t take it anymore. It was painful to just exist. I am so sorry that I left you; I will never leave you again. You were there with me the whole time. I felt you. You never left me even though I left you.” Fur starts to recede and melds into skin. “I have control now, I won’t have to do that ever again. I just couldn’t feel Derek. I couldn’t even feel love for you. That scared me. I knew I should feel love and fear, but I felt nothing. I was numb. And I had to gain control over this, so that I could love you again. I-“

(Starts)_____________________________________________________________________

His lips are crashing over mine and pulling the breath from my lungs. This kiss is more primal than any of the others we have shared. He weight is a welcome presence over my body. He is tethering me, grounding me back to everything. His mouth moves from my lips across my jaw and down my neck. He laves at my pulse point and sucks a bruise there. Then another, and another. He switches sides and starts the process over again. All I can do is lie there are writhe under him, and rut up against his body. His bare body. One of my hands tangle in his hair holding him in place while the other roams across his back giving me the leverage I need to thrust against him. My pants are so uncomfortable but I can’t even think about it for more than a second. We are thrusting against each other in tandem and I can see sparks fly. He moves back over to my mouth and continues the bruising kiss, but this time with more fire, more passion. His tongue is mapping every corner of my mouth and I give in willingly. My legs wrap around his waist needing to create more friction and pressure. I am so close it hurts. He must be too because his thrusts get more insistent and I am being pushed into the floor. A familiar warmth starts in my stomach and spreads to encompass my whole body until I feel like I am on fire, and then I reach my peak and let my release go. My body shutters and I hold tight against him. He gives three more shallow thrusts and I can feel him pulse against me. His lips never leave mine even though we both are gasping for air. 

After he calms back down, he goes to move off of me, but I pull him down to lie on top of me. I want him to stay there. He hesitates but gives in, wrapping his arms around me in a vice like grip. When our breathing settles back to normal, I press my forehead against his and we look into each other’s eyes not needing to say anything. After pressing a final kiss to his swollen lips my eyes close and I drift into unconsciousness. But there is another presence here, and I know he won’t leave.

(Ends)_________________________________________________________________________  
…

When I wake up I am not in Deaton’s storage room anymore. I am home in my bed, and Derek is lying next to me sound asleep. But he must hear my heartbeat change and wakes with me. “Hey.”

“Morning.”

“How long was I out?”

“You were at Deaton’s for a week. You scared the shit out of me Stiles.” His voice is raw and cracks near the end.

“I know, and I am sorry, but it had to be done. I was coming apart at the seams.”

“I know, I could feel it happening, I just didn’t know what to do.”

“Neither did I, not until Deaton confirmed what I thought was happening.”

“What was happening?”

“The pack bond was affecting my empathy. All of your dreams and sub conscious’ were seeping into my own. And me being the dumbass I am, tried to fix it all without realizing it.”

“You’re not a dumbass.”

“Well, my mind couldn’t handle the pressure of six wolves’ worst fears, and it started to break down. My power cut me off from my emotions to try and regain some control, but I knew that it wouldn’t last. So I had to sever myself from the rest of you while I got it under control. How is everyone else? Are they all okay?”

“They’re fine. We were all worried about you. But I wouldn’t let them near you.”

I caress his cheek and plant a gentle kiss on his lips. “They are all downstairs aren’t they?”

“I tried to make them leave, but after you came back they all felt it through the bond and refused to go.” My face heats up at the mention of coming back.

“Did we really…” Derek lets go a happy growl. “I’ll take that as a yes.” I can feel the heat spread to my ears and neck. “Was it good? I mean for you? Cause it was amazing for me. I mean like unbelievably amazing. And I hope that it was at least half as good-“

“Stiles. It was beyond amazing…”

“But?”

“…It can’t happen again.”

“What? Why not?” I sit up slowly and Derek sits with me.

“I was so close to claiming you.”

“Good. I want you to claim me. I want to be yours.” His eyes bleed bright amethyst and the silver ring becomes more pronounced. When he speaks it comes out a hoarse growl.

“Stiles I can’t do that. You can’t speak to me like that.” There is a pleading in his eyes that makes me a little sad. He is fighting his nature. That can’t be healthy.

“Why, I want it. You know I do. What is stopping you? I feel like we are already bonded.”

“In a sense we are. Peter explained a few things about being Mates. But the fact that we are True Mates makes things a bit more difficult. Normally with Mates a simple acknowledgement from both people is enough to establish the bond.”

“Yeah, I already knew that.”

“Yes, well with True Mates, there must be a… physical connection when that happens.”

“Okay. So we have to be touching.”

“No Stiles.” Then it dawns on me. Sex.

“We have to have sex for it to finalize?”

“Well, yes…”

“There’s more? I mean I totally want to have sex with you, to make love with you. I have for a while now.” And that is the truth. All of my current fantasies involve Derek. And let me tell you, there are a lot of them.

“Stiles there’s more…”

“What more can there be? You have to tell me, Der. I won’t know it unless you say.” He looks almost worried. Scared even. What could be so bad that I would turn away from him?

“I have to knot you.” It comes out almost a whisper. My first reaction is to just say okay, but then I think about what he just said. 

“You have to what!?”

“I have to knot you.” He is blushing. Oh my God! Derek Hale is blushing. 

“You mean you have one!”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“I don’t know, we can only knot our Mates.”

“Oh.” I let the information sink in. He has to knot me. Derek has to put his knot in me, and tie us together. The blood is racing from my head to somewhere below the belt. 

“Stiles. I would never force that on you, I-“ He must be picking up the arousal that has to be coming off of me in waves. His eyes go wide. “Stiles?”

I bury my head in his chest. “Sorry.” My whole face is hot. I am so blushing.

He pulls me back to stare into my eyes searching for something he must find, and then crashes his lips to mine. “Mine.” He growls the word more than says it. But then he jerks back and is on the opposite side of the room.

“Derek, what’s wrong?”

“I can’t Stiles.”

“Why?”

“You’re too young. This would be final. No going back.” There is only a hint of truth in his words. There is something else. And I think I know what it is. 

“That isn’t the problem here. I think I know what is wrong.” I get off the bed and walk over to him, stumbling a bit. He catches me and holds me close to him, with tension lacing his body. “If you’re not ready for that advancement in our relationship, we can wait. I get it. I don’t want to pressure you into doing anything. We can take this at your speed. Just know that I am ready. I love you so much, and I can’t wait for that to happen. I mean I am a pretty hott young dude, my sex drive is off the charts, I’m horny all the time-“

“Stiles.” That growl is so freaking sexy I just want to… 

“Sorry, but, no, I’m not sorry. But I will be patient. I’m not going anywhere.” One of his hands snakes around my back, while the other cups the back of my neck. He lets his forehead rest against mine and he looks me in the eyes.

“Stiles, I…” He falters with his words. But there is so much emotion flowing through the bond between us. He doesn’t need to say it for me to know how he feels.

“I know, I love you too.” It may not be perfect, and we may have rough times ahead, but he is mine. And I am his. That is all I really care about at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, so major revelations this chapter. It's not all sunshine and buttercups. The angst in this part of the series is at an all time low, but there is still some to be had. This is the first time I have ever written anything like this, so I hope i did it justice. There is a lot more to come, the beginning of the next chapter has quite a bit of it, just so you're warned. 
> 
> As always, thank you for you continuing support and to all my new readers! Let me know what you think! I love to hear what you guys have to say!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting off with some sexy times! Enjoy!

So the next day I am one big ball of tension. After learning that I will have to take Derek’s knot, I am both nervous and incredibly turned on. I haven’t tried too much in the shoving of fingers up my ass department, but last night it was about all I could think about. I think I must have gotten off about three times with them lodged there after Derek left. And every time it was to the thoughts of having Derek in me. So that is why I am currently two towns over in the sex shop looking around for something to help me in my sexual exploits. When the time comes I want to be able to… accommodate him, and make it good for both of us. After a very awkward conversation with the guy behind the counter, and flashing my fake ID, I walk out with a few different purchases. 

Once I get home it takes all of three seconds for me to lock my bedroom door, and close the blinds, and lock my window. I have been reading tips on how to get ready for this for weeks now. So I get out the lube and take out the new toys I have purchased. I got one dildo of a medium size. Derek feels quite a bit bigger than the one I bought, but I need to work my way up to that. I also got and anal douche and a butt plug that had an air pump with it so it can expand and get bigger. It was the closest thing I could get to something that would resemble a knot. The guy behind the counter was actually pretty cool when I asked about that. He says that they get all sorts in the store and nothing really freaks him out anymore. 

So I take the anal douche into the bathroom and get myself cleaned out, then head back into my room and lie down on the bed. Delving into one of my many Derek fantasies is almost second nature now. But I have the memories of our time in the clinic to go off of now too. And if that doesn’t get me going… well it so does!

(Start)_________________________________________________________________________

I start by stroking myself thinking of the weight of Derek on top of me, pressing me into the floor. How I clawed at his back, and pushed against him. The heat pooling in my belly is almost too much to bear. I take the lube and coat my finger and lower it between my legs rubbing circles against the skin there and eventually make it to the ring of muscle. The sensation of just my finger rubbing against it is enough to make me want my release, so I stop my stroking and focus completely on this new sensation. When I can’t take the teasing anymore I slip my finger in and curl it up moving it in and out slowly. A moan escapes my throat before I even realize it was there. I am so glad that I am home alone. 

The muscle gets accustomed to the intrusion and I add a bit more lube to my fingers and insert two instead of one. There is a slight burn now, but it is a good burn. I find myself pushing back on my fingers willing more sensations, and then on one thrust down my fingers curl and hit the spot I have been looking for. My vision blurs a bit and I gasp for more. I always thought that I would be a talker or moaner during sex, and for the most part on my own, I have been relatively quiet, even the encounter I shared with Derek, I am fairly certain that I hadn’t made any noises. I guess I found something that shuts me up.

The third finger brings a bit of discomfort, but it quickly recedes and the lust for more takes its place. I can’t take it anymore. I need more. So I grab the dildo, I think I am opened up enough to take it now. Coating it with a generous amount of lube I turn on my side and put the head of it against the muscle. My body is shaking and I can’t tell if it is from nerves or excitement. Slowly I push the head past the ring and immediately I want to take it out, and push it in further at the same time. Gradually I take more of it in, and let myself get accommodated to its girth. My breath hitches after it is rooted all the way in to the base. I fall onto my back and wait until the burn leaves, and the need for friction encroaches. 

It is a weird sensation, I feel full and yet I want more. I need more. Rolling back onto my side, I take it in my hand and start to slide it in and out in a leisurely pace. When that isn’t enough and the stinging is gone, I move it faster, and harder. How had I not done this before? Changing the angle of the thrusts I manage to find the perfect position and it is gliding over the bundle of nerves at every turn. I am leaking so much from my cock, and I haven’t even touched myself since I started. I am impossible hard I don’t know how much longer I can stand to not touch myself. So I increase the already wild pace and my toes are curling in pleasure. I want to try my other toy and feel what his knot might feel like. I know I want it, I just want it to feel good. So I slow the thrusts and drag them further and further apart until I finally pull it from my body. Quickly I take the butt plug and lube it up, and put it in, and lay back on my back. This won’t be thrust in, and when it finally settles against my rim it is an entirely different feeling that before. 

It starts fairly small so I grab the pump that comes attached and give it two squeezes. The feeling of it swelling inside me is uncomfortable and arousing. It isn’t enough. So I give it a few more pumps and I can feel it expand against the walls inside me. With my other hand I push the base in and out trying to gain some form of friction, and before I know it, I come so hard my vision goes white and I am panting. I didn’t even have to touch myself. Now all I can imagine is when it will be Derek.

(End)_________________________________________________________________________

Lying on my bed blissed out of my mind only lasts for a few seconds, because there is a knock on my window. I scramble to get up forgetting that I have something lodged in my ass. And I moan as it presses against my prostate. “Stiles are you okay?” Of course it would be Derek. It will always be Derek. His voice is shaky. Much like it was last night after our talk. And my still half hard cock gives a twitch like it is ready for round two already. How is this my life?

“M’fine. Just give me like five minutes, and go downstairs. I’ll meet you there.” I hear a grunt, and I start to freak out. I remove the plug and groan in pleasure, and miss its presence the second it is gone. But I am longing for something else. Who knew I would have a knot fetish. I sure as hell didn’t. Then I gather everything and throw it all in my bathroom under the sink. Cleanup of that will have to wait till later. With the washcloth I set out earlier I clean myself up as best I can, and spray some deodorant on. I know it won’t cover up the smell of what I just did completely, but I am hoping that it will throw Derek off enough to not ask questions.

Racing down the stairs, I open the front door, and Derek is all up in my personal space. His nose goes right for my neck and I can tell he is scenting me. “What happened, are you okay?” He is almost frantic trying to figure out what’s wrong. His presence so close to me is not doing anything to help me to settle down either. 

“I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong.”

“I felt something through the bond what was-“ That is the moment he realizes what I was just doing, and I can tell that I am red. My whole face is burning up.

“Sorry. I was, well… you know.” He takes a step backwards and I can see that it is difficult for him. “I didn’t know it would come across the bond. Sorry, if I’d of known that it did that, I would have warned you, or closed off-“  
“No!” It is almost a growl. “I mean, no. Don’t close it off. Never close it off. Not again.” He takes a step back into my space. His breathing is heavy, and I can see the purple/silver glow starting to change his green eyes. There is something else on the tip of his tongue and I am not sure he will say it. But he does. “What were you doing?”

If it’s possible I think I blush harder. “You know what I was doing.”

A low throaty chuckle comes out of him and he nuzzles into my neck breathing the words against it. “Yes, but every other time you have done that it has never felt like that.”

“Well, I… I wanted...” he just pulls back and raises an eyebrow at me. His eyebrows could probably emote any emotion he wanted. “I got a few new toys.”

“You have what?”

(Start)_________________________________________________________________________

 

I can’t look him in the eyes. I was going to tell him eventually, but now I feel like the kid that got caught with the proverbial hand in the cookie jar. “I bought a few toys, I wanted to be ready for when… when we make love.” His hand grabs my chin and forces me to look into his eyes. They are scorching with desire, and full blown lust. Then his lips crash over mine and the intensity of the kiss knocks the air out of my lungs. His hands slip under my sweatpants that I threw on without underwear, and quickly find my entrance. He lifts me off my feet and I have to wrap my legs around his waist to keep from slipping. Then his finger pushes in and I can’t help the moan that escapes me. I am straining against the front of my sweats, and rutting against his stomach while pushing back against his finger. He adds a second one seamlessly, and I push my tongue into his mouth dominating the kiss. I can feel his hardness pressing against me and it takes all of my self-control to pull away. “Derek, we have to stop. You’re not ready. God I want you to be, but you’re not. We can’t do this. I don’t want you to hate yourself later.” A third finger is pushed in and I am pushing back on his hand trying to get as much of his fingers in me as possible. I know I need to stop, but I can’t help myself, I can’t fight it. My cock is oversensitive. I only just came five minutes ago, but I am ready again. When his mouth laps at the space behind my ear I can’t hold out any longer and come in my pants. My whole body is trembling again, and he shutters underneath me while he ruts against me, and finds his own release. I don’t know how he manages to stay standing because I feel like a wet noodle in his arms.

(End)_________________________________________________________________________

Before I know it we are back in my room and he is cleaning us up with a fresh cloth. He takes it back to the bathroom, and when he comes back he is holding the butt plug and the dildo in either hand. At this point I can’t even feel shameful, and I don’t care if he knows what I was using. It’s my turn to raise an eyebrow at him, daring him to ask. 

“This one I get.” He says lifting the dildo, then lifts the plug. “But this one?” 

“I wanted something close to what I think your knot would be. I want to be able to take it and make it pleasurable for both of us.” He returns them to the bathroom, and comes back to lay down next to me in bed, and curls himself around me. “So you like post coital cuddling. This I could get used to.”

“Shut up.”

“And you revert to Neanderthal speech after orgasms, all information that will be recoded and documented for later use.” He playfully growls against my back. “Oh hush. You know you love it when I start to ramble.”

“I like it when you’re quite too. But that only seems to happen when I have you otherwise distracted.” As he says this he is running a hand up my torso under my shirt. And it has the desired effect. What can I say, he trips my trigger and all that. I can’t even focus on words when he touches me like that. “Sleep for now.” I just give a hum of agreement, and press back against his warmth. 

We don’t really sleep, but I am too content to say much of anything even if there is so much rattling around in my head. “Stiles, just say it.”

“Say what?”

“Whatever it is you are thinking.”

“I’m thinking of a lot of stuff.”

He sighs. “Pick one to start with.”

“Okay, well I have been thinking about a lot of things. And I don’t want you to run from me when I start talking to you about it. Do you promise to lie here and talk to me?”

He tenses up a bit. “Yes.”

“Okay, well first off, I think we should bring Danny into the pack. He would make a great addition, not only for his computer skills, but also for the fact that he is friends with most of the pack members. I don’t know if he would want the bite or not, but either human, or wolf, he would work well in our pack.”

“I actually agree.”

“Good, I mean he knows there is always bunch of strange shit going on around here anyway, and has kinda been involved in it all, so good.”

Sigh. “Next.”

“You know I love you right.” Grunt. He is really taking this Neanderthal thing all the way. “Well, when the pack gets together after meetings, or just for hanging out, we all seem to end up on the couch or the floor in what I have come to call puppy piles.”

“Stiles.” He says almost warningly.

“Oh, it’s cute, and you know it. But lately I have been getting this weird vibe from them. It’s not bad, but I think they want you to join in with them. I know Isaac and I do. We try to not let you mope in the corner by yourself, but there is only so much we can do. I don’t know if it makes you feel uncomfortable but maybe you could try it next time, for their sake.”

His nose nestles into the spot behind my ear. He told me once, that my scent is strongest there, and that smelling it gives him comfort and helps to calm him down. “It’s not that I don’t want to. It just… it just hurts. My family used to do similar things. Laura… Laura used to call them that too. Puppy piles.”

“Derek, you are allowed to want those things again. You were never not allowed. This pack is our family. If something is bothering you, it bothers us all. You don’t have to do this alone anymore. You have all of us to lean back on. And none of us are going anywhere.” I turn in his arms and look up into his eyes. There are unshed tears there, and I wipe them away before they can fall, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. “This isn’t a weight that needs to be on your shoulders any longer.”

His eyes close. No one gets to see him like this. See this vulnerability. No one but me. “I’m scared Stiles. I lost them all before. I can’t do it again. I can’t be the reason that all of you are gone. Especially you.”

“That was never your fault. She was an evil manipulative bitch who used you when you had no reason to think that someone would. She took that from you, stole your innocence and played with your emotions.” I really hope that Kate is suffering in eternal damnation and worse for what she did to him. 

“No, it’s still my fault. I loved her, Stiles. I fell in love with her. I let myself feel like that and I told her things about the pack. I gave her all the information she needed to do what she did. It will always be my fault.”

“Don’t you see though, she didn’t love you back. She used the way you felt against you. Took advantage of a sixteen year old boy, who never knew that someone could do something so heinous to another person. It is all on her, Derek. It will always be on her, and never on you. I will tell you that every day until you believe it.”

“You might have to.”

“Don’t think I won’t.”

“You know it’s not your fault either.” Now it is my turn to tense. I can’t look at him anymore, so I move my face down lie on his chest. I don’t think I can talk about this. I haven’t told anyone why I blame myself, why I’m the reason she isn’t alive. “Why do you think it is? You talk in your sleep about it, but you never say why.”

“I… I don’t know why I blame myself.” And the sad thing is, I really don’t. “Maybe it’s survivor’s guilt. She died of cancer. There was a brain tumor. She was in and out of hospitals all over California, and none of the doctors could do anything. Chemo worked for a while, but it just made her weak and she didn’t like getting sick. When her hair started falling out I helped her shave it. Then I asked her to shave mine too. We were both bald for a while. That’s why I have always kept it so short. As a reminder of her. I don’t think I need it anymore though. Eventually it got to a point that I refused to leave her room. Even her bed towards the end. Dad finally agreed to let me skip school. He knew we didn’t have that much time left with her, so he let me stay. I actually had to repeat third grade because of it... No one knows that. They all thought I was just the new kid, and I never corrected them. It was so unimportant. I was there with her when she passed. Dad was at work, and I was curled up next to her. I think she knew right before it happened. She pulled me close to her, gave me a kiss, and told me she loved me. Then she was just gone. The orderlies had to pull me off of her, I was kicking and screaming. When dad got there, I think I gave him a black eye. But he just held me, and we cried together. It was hard to live without her. The panic attacks started not long after that. I could never breathe. Dad wouldn’t talk about her, he still doesn’t too much. I met Scott when school started, and I told him lots of stuff about her. People around town who knew her still stop me on the street every once in a while, and will mention her. I like it when they do that. I like talking about her. I still go and visit her about once every other week. Tell her about what’s going on. It helps.”

“But there is still some part of me that thinks I could have gotten her to try harder. To have looked for one more doctor. That if I loved her just a tiny bit more, than she would have been able to hold on to life, and made it through. I know it’s stupid, and that I shouldn’t blame myself. But I can’t help but wonder, what if.” The arms that surround me pull me tighter in their embrace and I let the silent tears fall.

“Don’t do that. Let it out. Don’t keep it in. You don’t have to around me.” His permission is all that I need, what I didn’t know I needed. I cry deep sobs that wreck my whole body. I haven’t cried like this since she died. I didn’t know I needed to cry like this again. Derek rubs soothing circles on my back letting me know he’s there and that he won’t leave. I can’t help but fist his shirt anyway, tugging on it for the extra comfort. “Laura did this with me after the fire. I was so consumed in my guilt, that I wouldn’t let myself feel the loss. She held me and I tried to fight her, but she was so much stronger than me. She told me to let it all go. And when I did, I felt so much worse. But it helped. The guilt was still there, but I could move on from the pain of not having family again. I closed myself off after that. We moved around the country for a while, too afraid to stay in one place for too long. We finally settled in New York. It’s too big of a city to fall under any one Alpha’s territory, most bigger cities are. I got my GED, and we both started college, and things settled. I know you want me to let go of the guilt of what I’ve done, but I don’t think that I ever will. With your help I will be able to move on from it, but I will always hold a bit of it inside. Like you do for your mother. It doesn’t make any sense, but it will always be there. And I will try to do better with the pack. I will try to let the feeling of family back in, and not let the fear of loss overtake me, but…” My tears stop falling, and my breathing regulates again. There is a wetness against my head, and I can tell that Derek let some of his own tears fall. 

“It will take time. I know. But we have time. We have all the time we need.” We let ourselves bask in each other for a while. A weight feels like it has been lifted from my chest, and I can breathe easier than I have been able to in a long time. Derek’s hands keep trailing all over my body, and the reaction it gets out of me isn’t what I want to happen in this moment. I can’t even believe that I would begin to be aroused in a moment like this. It is almost like my body is betraying me.“Sorry.” I know he can tell what is going on.

“Don’t apologize. You can’t help what happens to your body.”

“Yeah, and I see that it is becoming a problem.” His pelvis is grinding into my hip, and I can feel his hardness against me.

“I can’t seem to stop myself when I am around you. It’s instinct.” I don’t think he meant that as a bad thing. It could easily be taken as one, but from someone who was born a wolf, instinct is just as important as anything else. Sometimes more.

One of his hands starts dipping below my waist band again, grabbing at my ass and spreading my cheeks a bit. I quickly pull his hand away before he can get started and I am unable to stop him. “I know Der, but we wanted to take this slowly. You need time, and I want to give it to you. I am ready when you are, but you’re not. I can tell.” His face falls a bit, but he rests his hand in the small of my back and pulls me closer to him. “I want this so much. I can’t even tell you how much I want this, but you need to figure things out. You always have so much control, and someday I want you to be able to lose it with me, but for now that isn’t an option.”

“I don’t know how much control I will have. I won’t take you, but I also need… something.”

“Okay, then how about this. We take everything one day at a time and let things happen as they will. But I won’t let you take me until you think you deserve me.” He gives me a look of hurt and confusion. “I know how your head works, Derek Hale. And you still don’t believe that you are worthy of the pack and me. And until you believe otherwise, as much as this pains me to say, my virginity stays intact.” He snorts a bit of a chuckle, so I level a glare at him. “You don’t think I am serious? I have waited seventeen years, I think I hold out a while longer. I also know how to keep certain supernatural creatures at bay. If it even comes down to it, I will make sure every night a different pack member is sleeping over with me. And I think they would be all too willing.” I stare into his eyes until he gets the message. He doesn’t say anything after that, and I turn around so we can spoon again. No more words are necessary, just being in each other’s presence is enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two small scenes. And I had to add in some seriousness. Since cannon never really explained who Stiles feels responsible for his mother's death, so I thought that this was a reasonable explanation. I think they are going to talk more about it in season 3b, but I can't wait around for that. So while this isn't much it sets up things to happen later on.
> 
> Please let me know what you think! Love to hear feedback from you guys!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I kinda feel bad about this chapter. There are things that I really wanted to happen, but there was no way that I could think of to ease them into the timeline. So I just made this out more like a couple of one shots that are all in the same chapter. Please don't hate me for this.

The start of summer is a mix of delight and sorrow. It all starts with Allison’s going away party. Lydia had to throw one, and it was a pack only event. There were some tears and good natured ribbing, mostly because we all knew she was coming back. But it has been hard knowing that one of our pack mates will be away for so long. Allison and her dad are going to France, and maybe a few other places. Mr. Argent and she have a few things to settle before they come back. Chris doesn’t want to have anything to do with hunting anymore, while Allison wants to keep the family tradition going, but making a change to the code. She wants to make sure that any Hunters who come to Beacon Hills know who they are, and that the city is under their protection. She is still sad about the Scott situation too. He hasn’t talked to any of us in the last few months before school let out. Isaac says that his eyes are losing some of their glow when they appear during lacrosse practice. I decided to quit playing and put that focus into my other studies. I really only ever joined because Scott wanted me to, so it has lost some of its charm to me. 

The training it gave me was great, but now that I find myself training with wolves, I have actually gotten stronger. With the use of my shield abilities, I have participated in a few training fights. Isaac is still too fast, Boyd too strong, and Erica and Peter to agile. Jackson has been the only one I have been able to best, but I think he was just going easy on me. He really is starting to come around, and he doesn’t want to hurt any of us any more than he already has. Derek still refuses to fight me, but I don’t really want to fight him either. It will have to happen eventually though. Just in case a rouge Alpha, or another pack decides to attack us. So I have also started running in the mornings through the preserve. It is a small thing, but it is raising my endurance and speed. Every little thing helps. Things in Beacon are quiet for now, but I don’t think they will stay that way for long. 

Training with Deaton has been going well too. He has taught me some basic healing, location, and scrying spells. There are more basics and I can do most of them without putting up much thought now. The most difficult thing that I have not been able to master is the telekinetic ability that all people with the gift possess. Deaton has demonstrated it many times on large and small scales. But no matter how hard I try, it won’t come to me. Deaton isn’t worried though. He says it might not be coming so fast to me, because all of the other things are. 

One of the things I have been focusing on more than others is finding my animal spirit. It requires intense mediation to reach, but I really want to find it. The good doc won’t tell me what his animal spirit is. I have my suspicion that it is an owl though. Wise, yet not revealing everything. Annoying really. I can tell that he has thoughts about what mine will be, and I am not sure if it is coming from an innate sense, or his divination ability. I have been trying to find it for a while now, without much success.

That is how I find myself deep in the woods on the first Saturday after school lets out. Dad knows that I am out here, but he thinks it is just some camping trip with the pack. And for all that it is what I am doing. But they are about a mile away from my present location setting up their own camp. Only Derek is with me tonight, and I feel that I will need him grounding me in order to finally reach the point I need to in order to figure this out. We set up our small two man tent, and I rig up one of my protection circles. The same one that helped me a few weeks ago to regain control over my empathy. There is one big difference though. Derek is on the inside with me instead of keeping guard outside it. We have a fire going, and when night falls, and the fire is in embers, he strips and transforms into the wolf, then curls around me. 

The normal, sitting with your legs crossed chanting ooom, never worked for me. Instead I burry my face in the fur around Derek’s neck and let his scent carry me into a state of contentment and peace. Then I start to focus on my own inner power and letting it flow through me and out into the woods around me. I can feel the life force of all the creatures in the immediate area, and the sensation is like nothing I can describe. Power thrums through my core and I let it resonate there for a few aching moments before I have to release it. As I start to pull it back to me small tendrils start sweeping out and all but one return. The one that is still latched out is resting over a fox’s den. 

Slowly I sit up and stare right where the fox is, and his warm brown eyes meet mine. Then he loops towards us. Derek seems unaware, or at least unconcerned so I let the fox move forward. He reaches the line, and crosses it. That shouldn’t be possible. Before I know what I am doing my hand reaches out to touch the space between the fox’s eyes, and then it is as if I am looking through his eyes at myself. My eyes are glowing white and there are small wisps of energy flowing from them. 

Than I am surging back into my body and I slump into Derek behind me. He lets out a whine and nuzzles me questioningly. I rub my hand across the side of his head. “It’s okay. I think I did it.” Another whine comes out, but this one is happier, and he nips at my hand. “I want to try something, so don’t freak out okay?” Standing up takes a minute. That took more energy out of me than I thought it would. But after a few minutes, I gain my equilibrium, shed my clothes, and turn my body slightly away from Derek. Then I center myself on him, and the image of the fox. As the shift happens, I can feel a new source of energy appear, and when I am on all fours Derek stalks over giving a sniff and a lick to the side of my head. The magic of the circle breaks. It takes concentration to maintain it for long periods of time, and now that I am taking that focus and putting it into something else I let it go. 

It takes a few minutes for me to get used to my new form, but before I know it I am running circles around Derek and nipping at his heels. Then we are off. The woods offer something to me now, that they never could before. Something that Derek has been unable to share with me until now. I don’t know how long we chase each other through the trees, but we end up in a clearing, and Derek shifts back to his human self. I do the same wanting to share this moment with him.

When I am standing next to him, he pulls me in for a passionate kiss. “That was incredible. I didn’t know you could do that.”

“Neither did I. It just sort of came to me.”

“Now you can run with us on the full moon.”

“I would love that!” I lock our lips together again and pull our bodies together. It’s then that I realize we are both naked, and there is nothing between us. So I start to pull back, but Derek doesn’t let me. There is no lust in his eyes, and that makes this all the more intense. The last few times anything has happened between us there has always been a spark of it there. But this time, I only see love adorning his gaze. Strong hands grab my hips and keep me pressed to him as the kiss starts up again, then it deepens, and I am lost. Every touch sends fire through my veins. One of my hands reaches up for the tattoo on his back to start tracing the lines there. It has become one of my favorite things to do when I am wrapped around him. The other hand trails down his side to his hip. I want to take it further, but I will never push him into anything he isn’t ready for.  
(Start)_________________________________________________________________________  
So far we have only rutted against each other, mostly with clothes on. And every time has been better than the last. He can feel that I want more, but am unwilling to take it, so he removes one of his hands on my hips and takes mine in his, then moves them between our bodies and has me grab him. Quickly he grabs me, and we are thrusting against each other. His lips move from mine and find them attached to my neck. He has done really well not marking me up too much, but this time I want him to, so I hold him in place giving him permission. As his teeth drag over the skin there, a wanton moan escapes my mouth and our pace of thrusting increases. “Derek… I can’t… I’m gonna…” 

My body jerks of its own volition, and I let out my release. The only thing keeping be standing is Derek’s grip on my lower back. He thrusts forward a few more times before he bites down on my neck with a slight hint of fangs moaning his own release into my shoulder. It’s my turn to keep him standing then. After we collect ourselves, Derek wipes us both clean with his hands, and licks his fingers dry. That only sends another shiver though my body. He lets out a chuckle and licks his way into my mouth. The taste of both of us on his tongue is thrilling and makes me want for more. But then he pulls back and shifts into his wolf giving me a growl of pleasure. “You can’t just do something like that, and not expect me to respond. Damn, you are so hott.” I let my own shift take over my body and we race back to our campsite. Not even bothering with the tent we stay shifted and just lay together, Derek wrapped around me, and sleep under the open sky.  
(End)_________________________________________________________________________  
…

The pack found us the next morning, naked. Somehow we managed to shift back during the night, and they haven’t let us live it down since. They all think we had sex, and we didn’t tell them differently. It’s practically expected at this point with the amount of time we spend around each other. But this is the first time that the pack has had any visual conformation. Erica and Jackson are the worst. They are still teasing us about it a week later. But every time Jackson starts in I just offer to tell him all the details. That clams him up right away. Erica on the other hand won’t let up. She is continuously pushing me into sharing, and finally one night, when it is just the two of us at my house, I break down and tell her. 

“So you really want to know what Derek and I have been up to?”

“Hell yes I do!”

“I think you will be mostly disappointed.”

“Oh, I know you guys haven’t done the dirty yet. At least not all the way.” I can only stare at her gob smacked. “Come on. If you guys have really been doing it all this time, neither one of you would be walking straight. Especially you Stiles.” All I can do is let out a laugh, I laugh until I have tears in my eyes. “So what have you done?”

That sobers me up a little. “I swear if you repeat this to anyone I will trap you in a mountain ash circle and make you listen to me ramble about the merits of wolfsbane and all its practical uses against wolves in all of its various forms for a week.” She rolls her eyes and nods. “Well the first time was right after I spent that week at Deaton’s. He was waiting for me when I lowered the barrier, and he kinda pounced on me. Not exactly where I would have wanted my first orgasm with help from another person to happen, but neither one of us were really in control. And mostly all we have done is hands free kind of stuff. The first time we touched each other like that was in the woods. And that was only after we were playing about for a few hours.”

“After you took your romp as a fox?” Her words are playful, and teasing, but I can’t help but preen at them. It isn’t as easy as it looks.

“Yeah. I don’t want to push him into anything he isn’t ready for. Has he told you guys everything?” I don’t want to give away Derek’s secrets. They’re his to share, not mine. 

“He didn’t tell us everything, but from what I have gathered Kate screwed him over didn’t she.” I can’t help the growl that comes out at the mention of her name. “Okay, so more than screwed him over.” She thinks for a few minutes. “Oh. My. God! She was with him, like with him, with him!”

“Don’t you ever let him know that you know. He still has a hard time with it. She used him to get to his family. She is the one that killed them. And he blames himself for it every day.” A low growl emanates from her general vicinity. 

“So that is why Stiles and Derek sexy times are moving in slow mo?”

There is an obvious eye roll from me to her. “Yes. She was the only person he has ever been with.” Well not really, there was Paige, but that is not something we need to discuss. “And he already feels like he is taking advantage of me. So I am letting him set the pace.”

“Even though you totally want him so bad.”

Sigh, “Yes. I want it so bad, you have no idea.” I totally meant to be sarcastic, but it comes out more of a whine. I know it, she knows it, we all know it. 

Her eyes dart towards my nightstand where I keep the toys I bought are. “Oh, I think I have some idea.”

“Erica!” I would say I can’t believe she would do that, but she would, and obviously did.

“What, you left me in here for like five minutes unattended. Of course I went snooping. Especially when the scent of sex is stronger in one place.” The leering smile she gives me is one I have grown accustomed to. “So how do they work for you? Think you’ll be able to take his knot?”

“Oh, my, God! Erica, you can’t just ask me things like that.” My cheeks must be so red right now. I can feel the flush of embarrassment. But of course she would ask. This is Erica we are talking about here.

“Oh, come one! You knew I would ask. It takes a lot getting used to. But holy shit-“ I can’t listen to this anymore. I put my hands up to my ears and start saying gibberish until I see her lips stop moving. Then I lower my hands. “Stiles, really? But seriously, I am glad that you are preparing yourself. Take this from a girl who knows, that shit will stretch the fuck out of you. And judging by what Derek’s packin, well you are gonna have a harder time than I did.” Up to this point I haven’t really thought about his size. I mean yeah he is quite a bit bigger than me, well not too much longer, but much thicker. I have even been thinking about going back to that store and getting a slightly larger toy, just to be on the safe side. Maybe I should stop thinking about it and actually do it. 

“He is pretty big, huh.”

I think that shocks Erica more than it does me when the words leave my lips. “Yeah he is. Don’t get me wrong, Boyd is like perfection, but I gotta say, I am a little jealous.” Another growl escapes me before I can control it. “Don’t worry, your man is safe from me. I have one of my own.” Then somehow we manage to find ourselves in a fit of giggles and end up watching a movie while lying in my bed. About an hour in Isaac taps on my window, and I wave him in. 

“Someone who knocks. What a novelty. Pull up some bed dude.” Dad and I finally switched out my twin for the queen that was in the guest bedroom. When pack sleepovers become a common occurrence, the floor stops being fun, and starts being hard on your back. Isaac snuggles up to me on the opposite side of Erica and the three of us watch the rest of the movie in silence. 

This has also become another common event. The three of us have been getting really close lately. Lydia and Allison are still my girls, but with Allison drawing back a bit, and Lydia working really hard on the bestiary, our time together has gotten less frequent. Jackson and Boyd have been blossoming a bromance with Derek, so Erica and Isaac drifted to me. Isaac has somehow wedged himself into Scott’s old place. I didn’t set out to replace him, but Scott hurt us all and Isaac was there the whole time. Erica just puts herself where she wants to be. Her Allison and Lydia have had more than one girls night, and I am sure there are many more to come. Even so, she has gotten closer to me than the girls.

But even my father has noticed how much the three of us are hanging out. He has dubbed us the three musketeers. After the third time of him saying that, it ended with the three of us fake sword fighting in the living room, and it has kinda stuck. It’s good though. They both need it. So do I for that matter. 

…

After a lot of talks with the pack, and a few solo discussions between Derek and Jackson, we finally decide that it is time to let Danny know what has been going on here for the last six months. I can’t believe that it has only been six months. 

We decide to make it a small thing. Overwhelming him would be a bad thing, so it is just going to be me, Derek, Jackson, and Lydia. Surprisingly enough it is Jackson who asks for me to be there. We haven’t grown all that closer by any means, but he is getting better. Lydia is encouraging him to seek out the other pack members to hang out with, and has even spent a couple of guys only nights with the rest of us. 

I am making dinner and getting thoroughly distracted by Derek who won’t stop marking my collar bone. I made him stop the ones on my neck, only because it was making my dad edgy. He has been really good about letting me and Derek have our space. He even took the news of us being mates better than I expected. But until I am eighteen he wants us to keep our relationship to ourselves and the pack. It wouldn’t look too good to see the sheriff’s son dating the suspect in quite a few murders, who happens to be six years older. “Der, this dinner is important. I don’t want to mess it up.” But I can’t help the sigh that happens. “That mouth is going to get you into so much trouble one of these days. He just chuckles and moves to set the table. Jackson is pacing between the living room and the kitchen. He is nervous, mostly because Danny thinks this is just another study session. Lydia is probably the calmest of all of us, but I can feel the tension rolling off of everyone. 

The knock on the door jars us all out of our own internal thoughts and Jackson goes to let Danny in. When he steps in and comes through to the kitchen he hesitates. “Uh, I thought we were studying?”

“We can, after dinner.” I put the last dish of food on the table and sit down. The others sit as well, Danny being the last to move in. The sound of forks scraping over plates and the sounds of eating take over for the first part of the meal. It finally gets to a point that I can’t take it anymore so I have to break the silence. “So Danny, there are a few things that we wanted to tell you tonight.” He looks up with a wary look on his face. “So you might have noticed how strange things have been happening around here lately, well if you want to, we can tell you what has been going on.”

Jackson ducks his head and Lydia and I both reach a hand to him under the table while waiting for Danny’s response. He takes his time to think things through. I know that he has noticed the weirdness that has settled itself over our small town. Many people have. But Danny has been centered on it quite a few times. He lets his fork rest on the plate, takes a sip of lemonade, and crosses his arms. “Okay.”

Simply nodding my head at him I look over to Jackson who gives me a small squeeze on my hand, and I go into telling him everything. Well the cliff notes version anyway. Derek shifts to show him that what we are talking about is real, and he reacts mostly like my father did. Danny is no dummy. He had to have been suspicious of us for quite some time now, but hasn’t had any solid evidence against us. He may not have thought that werewolves were the cause of the problems, but he knew something was up.

When I get to the part of Jackson as the Kanima, Lydia places herself in his lap and lets him nuzzle into her neck offering a small bit of comfort. I don’t need my new powers to tell that they are mates. Danny looks down at his food, and doesn’t say anything for a while after I finish. The gears in his head are turning and working through things. “I know that it is a lot to process, but we have talked it over with the pack, and we would formally like to ask if you would like to join. The pack that is. We aren’t some weird cult or anything. But know that you know, you could be a real asset to us, and this would help strengthen your friendships with everyone in it. You may have noticed the last few months of school, but we are all really close to one another. It would also garner you a boatload of protection from the pack. You would know what is going on, just like the rest of us. No more being in the dark and sitting on the sidelines. The choice is yours.”

“You want me to join the pack?” This question is directed at both Derek and Jackson. Derek responds first.

“Yes.” Short and to the point. Just as I expected.

“It would make me feel better about your safety, and then I wouldn’t have to hide things from you again. I wasn’t in control most of the time for a while there, and I was a pretty shitty human being. But you stayed even when I was being the biggest jerk. It would mean a lot to me if you joined the pack.” This is probably the most emotional I have seen Jackson since he became a full wolf. It is kind of refreshing to see that side of him again.

“I think I want to join. It may take me while to get used to this stuff, but I think I want to be a part of it.” Jackson visibly perks up and I send a smile to Derek. Derek motions for Danny to stand and takes one of his hands in a handshake. When their skin touches, I feel a new line of the bond form to Danny. 

“Okay, now that, that is done, screw studying, I think a movie night is in order. It is summer vacation after all. Plus we are like four of the smartest people in our class. Eventually you will have to join us on a pack night. Puppy piles are the best.” Jackson groans, Lydia giggles, and Derek rolls his eyes, but can’t help the smirk that graces his face. Pack life is great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really love the idea of fox!Stiles, so i had to incorporate that. And there are some pretty great scenes with Danny coming up so I had to get him into the pack. Next chapter has Scott in it, so be prepared!
> 
> Thanks for you support! Please let me know what you think of it so far!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this is late guys! I have been laid up sick all this last week with Mono. So I give you this next chapter without any further ado.

“Yeah dad, I am just at the grocery store, grabbing a few things for tonight.”

“Pack night?”

“Yeah. You know how those guys can eat. Derek is paying though so don’t worry. “

“I’m not.”

“Good. Besides, I know you like having them all there.”

“I guess I do. Makes the house seem more alive.”

“Totally.” I put a few bags of chips in the cart and look up so see Scott about five feet from me. I can tell he wants to talk. “I’ll be home before they all get there. Talk to you later.” Then I hang up the phone and put it back in my pocket. He has to be the one to start this. I don’t know if it’s my pride, or the silent hum of anger that is keeping me from making the first move, but whatever it is, I am glad for it. It takes about two minutes and an eye roll from me for him to make is move. 

“Hey.” I choose not to respond. I deserve more than just a ‘hey’, and he knows it. He takes the silence as a means to keep going. “I was hoping we could talk. In private?”

I know this isn’t a discussion to be having in public. I am about finished up anyway. “Okay, let me check out and call Derek. Then meet me back at my house in twenty.”

“You really have to call Derek to let him know we are going to talk?” He asks this so incredulously. 

My eyes narrow at him. “No, I don’t. But my Mate might take offense to the scent of a non-pack wolf in the current pack house without his prior knowledge. We don’t keep things from each other. Plus, he might want to be there. Before you argue, whatever you say to me, you better be able to say to him, because I will tell him anyway. “

He at least has the decency to look slightly ashamed. Then he nods his head and I move around him to the checkout. After I get the bags put in the jeep I call Derek. “Hey is everything okay? You’re feeling tense.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because Scott approached me in the grocery store and asked to talk to me. Then he goes and insults me and acts like an indignant asshole.” Derek’s response is a growl. “It’s okay. I’m okay. He says he wants to talk. So I am having him over at my house in a bit. Did you want to be there?” I kinda want to talk to Scott alone, but I won’t refuse Derek’s presence if he wants to be there. 

“You want to talk to him alone don’t you? Of course you do.” He knows me so well. “I will let you talk to him alone, but I am not going to be far, if he tries something, just yell. I’ll hear you.”

“Derek, he won’t try to hurt me. He knows better.”

“Stiles…”

“Okay. Got it… Thanks.” Grunt. “Love you.”

“…Love you too.” 

The drive home takes no time at all, and right after I put the last of the groceries away there is a knock on the door. Twenty minutes exactly. I open the door and let him in then lead him to the living room. He takes his old spot on the couch and I take my dad’s chair. Derek sat here last night and it still vaguely smells like him and it lends me a small measure of comfort. Scott’s nose scrunches up a bit when he flops on the couch and must get a wiff of the pack. “So you wanted to talk.” I really just want to get this over with. Whatever it is.

“Yeah, I wanted to, well, I wanted to apologize.”

“For what exactly? That is a long list.” Maybe I am being overly harsh. Maybe he deserves it. Either way I don’t really care right now. It’s dark of me to say, but I want him to hurt. 

“I know, I know. I made a lot of mistakes.”

“Mistakes, Scott! You almost got my entire pack killed. My Mate!”

“Can you please not call him that!?”

“Why not? That is what he is Scott. My Mate. You may not fully grasp it, but he is everything to me. And from day one you have done nothing but cause him trouble. I admit that at first I wasn’t all gung ho on him, but then I saw him, really saw him. Have you ever really looked at him Scott? Did you ever? When you were blaming him for all the murders did you see him? He tried to help you, and you rebuffed him every time. You only caused more and more trouble for him, and he has only ever tried to help you.” After every point I make he shrinks further and further into himself. He looks like a wounded puppy, but I can’t let that stop me. I’m not yelling, but my tone is evident enough that I am not happy. “Then with all the stuff with the Kanima happening, you started to work with Gerard. I know that he threatened your mom, but why didn’t you come to me? I know you didn’t trust Derek. But I thought you trusted me. I could have helped you. Derek would have helped you. But instead, you turned on all of us. Even Allison. She was never with him. She was playing both sides trying to get information for us.”

“Yeah, and she is a hunter, so Derek wouldn’t let her in the pack right?” He says this with contempt in his voice, and making it seem like the furthest thing from the truth.

“Wrong.”

“What?”

“She is part of the pack. Derek has told her so. Take a wiff around here. She is here as often as any of the others, at least she was until she left for France. Jackson and Lydia too. Hell even Danny now. You could have been part of this. But instead you are slowly slipping to an Omega.”

He can’t meet my eyes anymore. “That is another thing I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Why me? That is something you should be talking to Derek about. He is the Alpha. He is the one with the final say.”

“I thought you might be able to talk to him for me.” He looks so hopeful. He wants me to talk to Derek for him. But I can’t do that. I won’t do that.

“No. You have to do it on your own.”

He looks at me hurt. “I just thought-“

“Well you thought wrong. Derek does respect my opinion, and he does listen to me, but I can’t influence his decision on this. You hurt us all Scott. Not just me, and not just Derek. The whole pack. What I can tell you what he will say when you talk to him. What I will say when he asks me for my opinion on the matter. And he will ask.”

“What will he say? What will you say?”

“That before you officially become pack, you have to seek forgiveness from everyone. And I mean everyone. Even Peter. Danny too. He may be new, but your actions affected him, even when he was oblivious to all this. If you can do that then you will have earned my forgiveness as well. But only then.” He looks a bit shocked. “You need to get your head out of your ass Scott. There are bigger things happening here than just your damn personal life. So many times I was sitting there waiting for you to include me in this shit. When you stopped, I started helping those who would let me. They all accept me. They accept my position in the pack without question. Do you think you can do the same?” 

He doesn’t give a response and I don’t expect him to. I have given him a lot to think about. He gets up to leave and I stand to show him to the door. But he hesitates, “I’ll do it Stiles. I don’t know how, but I will.” Then he bolts out the door and down the street. When he if far enough away I close the door and gently slide down it putting my head in my hands silently crying. This wasn’t the way things were supposed to be. This isn’t how our friendship, our brotherhood was meant to end up. And it hurts so much. 

Before I know it arms are encircling me and picking me up. Derek was probably closer than he said he would be, but I am too grateful right now to comment on it. I just wrap my arms around him and let the tears fall from my eyes. He doesn’t say anything. He knows exactly how I feel right now. The door opens and there is some quick movement, but it is only the pack. Well most of them. Erica, Isaac, Boyd, and Jackson. The others will be here soon, but they all come over to us and curl around us. Derek doesn’t pull away this time and sits with us. I give him a silent thanks, and he squeezes me a bit tighter. “Sorry guys for being a big baby.”

“Shut up Stilinski.” Jackson can’t help himself. There is no bite to it, but Isaac can’t help to rise to my defense.

“Don’t tell him to shut up Jackass.”

“Both of you shut up.” Erica always has to have the last word. She snuggles into the small of my back. We are all on the couch and we barely fit, but it is comfortable. 

“Someone pick a movie. Snacks are in the kitchen. I’m too tired to play host tonight so it’s fend for yourselves.”

“Oh, can we order Pizza?”

“How about Chinese?”

“I want subs.” 

They all start bickering again, but it is all in fun and I can’t help the chuckle that escapes me. Derek smiles into my neck. I know he loves it just as much as I do. Hopefully Scott will follow through and make amends with the rest of the pack. I really want him here. I miss him a lot, but he has to be willing. Until then, I can honestly say I’m happy. This is all I need.

…

After the Scott fiasco they pack comes over and we have a normal pack night, but I pretty much stay on the couch with Derek all but glued to my side. Then about eleven he kicks the pack out and leads me upstairs. When we get there he slowly undresses both of us, but there is nothing sexual in it. More comfort and love. When we get in the bed he curls himself around me. “Thanks for tonight. Sorry for getting everyone down.”

“You don’t have to apologize. You are entitled to feel that way.”

“I know, but it just brings the whole pack down.”

“Stiles, you can’t be strong all the time. Sometimes you have to let someone take care of you.”

“I know that in theory. But I am always the one doing the caring, not the one being cared for. I don’t really know how to fit into that role.”

“Well you did a pretty good job of it tonight.”

“Yeah,” chuckle, “Mostly because you wouldn’t let me leave your side.”

“You needed me.”

“Yeah, I did.” I pull his arm tighter around me.

“So I was thinking, tomorrow is Friday, and you don’t have anything planned do you?”

“No… why?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“What?”

“I want to surprise you.”

“Okay, with what?”

“If I tell you it wouldn’t be a surprise now would it?”

Sigh. “Fine. But you know I don’t like not knowing right?”

“Oh, believe me, I know.”

“You are so getting off on this! You are enjoying my man-pain.” He lets out a deep long laugh. His whole body is shaking with it. “See, this…” I gesture at all of him, “this is you laughing at me.” I put on a fake pout and try hard not to give into the laughter myself.

“Stiles, trust me. This will be worth it.”

“Fine…” He kisses the back of my neck, and I find myself relaxing even more into his arms and allow myself to be swallowed into a dreamless sleep.

The next day seems to drag by. The rest of the pack is evasive the whole day. Erica and Isaac come over for a bit but neither one of them will tell me what Derek has planned. And I know they both know. Everyone seems to know. When I text them, they don’t text back. It is all starting to drive me crazy. They all know it too. Even my dad seems to be in on it. Isaac said that he would take care of dinner for the two of them and to not worry about it. So I guess that at least means food will be involved. 

About three thirty I get a text that says to be ready by five and that I should wear something comfortable and the hiking boots he got me when we went on our camping trip. So this leads me to believe that the woods will be involved. Have I mentioned that I really hate not knowing. I can’t research I can’t read, I can’t learn anything about what or where we are going. And the waiting is driving me crazy. I have started to read about three different books, turned the TV on and off about five times, and opened about fifteen different searches on various projects I have going on.

In the end I shower, get dressed in my favorite red hoodie, and sit down in the center of my room to try and meditate for a while. It seems to take, and before I know it the doorbell is ringing downstairs. I don’t sense anyone else in the house, so I guess Isaac and my dad are at the loft instead. When I open the door Derek is standing there in my favorite black Henley and a black pair of jeans. He leans in and gives me a gentle kiss. “Hello.” The grin on his face is bright, and I can’t even be annoyed anymore. Maybe I was feeding off of his nervousness. Now that I am standing in front of him it is coming off in waves. 

“Hi.” I must have the dopiest smile on my face. “You don’t have to be nervous. I know I will love whatever you have planned.”

“I know, that’s not why I’m nervous.”

“Oh?” He just rolls his eyes, and takes my hand leading me to my jeep. “Um, not taking your car?”

“Yours handles better off road, and we have to go a bit into the preserve.” I nod and hand over the keys. It isn’t often, if ever, that I ride passenger in my own vehicle, but I trust Derek with it. It takes us about a half an hour to get to the place where we have to leave the jeep. Then we hike for another forty minutes. The whole walk there he never lets my fingers go and our shoulders brush against each other every so often. If I didn’t know any better I would say that this is a date. I mean, I figured that is what this was going to be, but actually being here makes my heart beat a bit faster. He squeezes my hand a bit when it picks up, but doesn’t say anything. And for that I am grateful. 

When we finally make it to a breach in the trees we come into a clearing. This is not somewhere I have ever been on the preserve. The edge of the clearing drops off to an overlook of the forest and more of the preserve that is on the far side of town. There are no lights from the city here, only from the sinking sun. 

On the ground is a pile of blankets, a basket, and a fire pit ready to be lit. “Derek.” It is all I can get out. I’m not one for the big romantic gesture, but this is just perfect. I don’t think I could ask for a more perfect first date.

“It’s not too much is it?”

“No, it’s just enough.”

“Good. I didn’t think you would be one for a big show or anything. And I know we are supposed to be keeping out of the public view for a while longer. At least until you’re eighteen.”

“We don’t have to.”

“I know, but you are worried about your father’s reelection and being seen around town with an exonerated murder suspect won’t help any. So I thought I would bring you here. My family used to come here during the full moon on our runs. We could be loud and play without alerting the town to our presence. Plus is it is somewhat remote, so even the Hunters didn’t know about it.”

“Thanks. I don’t want to keep us a secret though. And Dad told me not to worry about it. With you becoming a member of society and all it will only help your public image. I know I am not perfect, but it can’t help to be seen in the company of the Sheriff’s son. I could be a good influence on you. Or you on me, depending on who you ask.” We both laugh at that. “But seriously, thanks for bringing me here. It was an important place to your family. And I want it to be that again. Maybe on the full moon we can bring the rest of the pack here too.”

“Maybe. But tonight, I don’t want to think about anyone else. Just the two of us.”

“I think I can manage that. So what’s the plan? I assume there’s a plan? Because you guys were pretty secretive all day.”

“There really isn’t a plan. But the pack did help a bit. We should be set up for the whole night.”

“We staying here?”

“If that’s okay with you.”

“I have no problems with it, but you will have to stay close to keep me warm tonight.” I say this as coyly as possible. 

“I think I can manage that.” The front of his jacket is in my hands and I can’t help but to pull him the remaining distance between us for a searing kiss. It goes on for a while and the sky is a lot darker than when we started. But it was worth it. He leads me to the blankets and pulls off his leather jacket to put it on my shoulders. The smell alone is enough to make me melt, and the gesture of it all makes my stomach do back flips. It is totally manly, and not at all girly to like being taken care of and it is getting a bit nippy. There is a fire started and it doesn’t take long for the fire to warm me up where the jacket doesn’t reach. The food that is in the basket is simple, just some sandwiches and chips with a few bottles of water. He even gets my favorite, turkey with swiss cheese and baked not fried chips. We eat quietly and lean against one another watching the sun go down. For dessert he pulls out a bag of marshmallows and two sticks to roast them on. Derek lets his light on fire and then peels the blackened sugar away to put in in his mouth and repeats the process until it is gone completely, then puts on another and continues this process for a while. I just laugh and lightly brown mine until there is no white left, then stuff the whole thing in my mouth. 

Eventually the fire goes down and we run out of marshmallows so we just sit there basking in the dying warmth of the embers. I’m sitting in between his legs leaning against his chest and his arms are wrapped around me. His nose finds that space just behind my ear and he starts scenting me again. Always on the right side. It is something that I have been meaning to ask. “Why is it that you always scent the right side, and the others only ever scent the left?”

His lips brush against my neck as he speaks. “It’s instinctual. There really isn’t a reason for it, it’s just the place that feels most comfortable. Like I belong there, and my scent belongs there. Does it bother you?”

“No. I like it. It makes me feel safe.” He just hums in pleasure and takes another breath in. “What do I smell like?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that. What do I smell like? Everyone has their own scent right? I mean you do.”

“You can smell me?”

“Yeah,” I am so blushing right now. I haven’t told anyone this yet. 

“What do I smell like to you?”

“I asked you first.” Yeah it’s kinda elementary school to say, but it doesn’t make it any less valid.

“Home. You smell like home. Like comfort, and warmth, and everything I could ever want.” I don’t know why, but that makes me feel warm a fuzzy on the inside. “Now what do I smell like to you?”

“I don’t know. I guess you smell like leather, and the woods, you know nature-y, and there is this subtle hint of hickory smoke.” So I do know. I also tend to ramble when I am nervous, although I have no idea why I am nervous right now so I just keep talking. “And the first time I smelled your scent was that day you showed up in my room when you were a fugitive and you had me pressed against the door. And I was so worried that if you didn’t move away soon I was going to have a problem because, the way you smell Derek, it wreaks havoc with my hormones.” 

His lips turn into a smile. “I was trying so hard not to breathe in that whole time. You were already messing with my head, and it took everything I had not to claim you right there.” A shudder runs through my body. “Every time I am near you, every time you make a slight movement that stirs the air around you, I catch your scent, and it takes all I have not to claim you. Right now, I am struggling with it.”

“I wish you didn’t have to.” I say breathlessly. 

“I know. Soon. I promise.”

“I told you, no pressure. And I mean it. We take this at your pace. Whatever you are willing to give me. I’m not going anywhere. You are mine, and I’m yours.” His mouth starts moving along my neck and his tongue laps at my skin, placing small nips with his slightly too long teeth. My breath hitches and my heartbeat speeds up a bit. 

“The things you make me want to do to you.”

“Tell me.” It comes out more of a moan than actual words.

“Can’t. If I do, I might not be able to hold myself back.”

“Something. Anything.”

(Start)________________________________________________________________________________

It takes him a few minutes to verbalize and answer, and when he does, it is low and with a hint of a growl. “I want you to come down my throat.” My hands have already moved to start palming myself through my pants. I can feel a slight damp spot on my jeans. “I want to suck you into my mouth and take you down all the way, letting you fill my throat.” His hand moves my hand away and starts to undo the buttons of my jeans and slide them slowly down my hips. “I want you to thrust into my mouth and take what you want.” He is gently lying me down on the blankets and moving himself from behind me and down my body. His hands run under my shirt and push it up so he can suck one of my nipples into his mouth. And HOLY SHIT, who knew nipples were that sensitive! Moving to the other one so as to not leave either untouched, he brings one hand up to pinch and pull at the other, while his other hand trails down my stomach and moves down my thigh teasing but not touching my leaking cock. 

Then his mouth starts moving leisurely down my torso lapping and nipping at the skin. He traces the faint outline of my abs with his tongue and growls lightly sending vibrations though my whole body. Somehow I manage to kick off my jeans and boxer-briefs, and slide my legs open so he can easily slot himself in. Without touching me where I want him to, his mouth moves from my stomach to my hip and laves at the bone that slightly sticks out there and goes to nip and gently bite at my inner thigh. It is the worst and best kind of torcher that he refuses to touch me where I want him to most. When I go to touch myself he takes both my hands in his and curls our fingers together keeping my hands from moving. He slowly makes his way from my thigh to the base of cock and slips under my balls lapping at them as he passes to the other side and starts giving my other thigh the same treatment as the first.

At first I could only look at him in lust and pleasure, but now my head is thrown back and the moans come unabashedly. As he starts to lick back to the base, he pulls one of my balls into his mouth and it feels like nothing I have ever experienced before. “Derek!” His name comes wantonly from my lips, my eyes are open, and can’t move away from his. They are amethyst with that almost liquid silver ring and the bare lust and love I can feel looking into them is almost enough to send me over the edge. Derek must sense this though so he pulls off and goes back to the nipping and biting around, above, and under, but never on. 

I want to feel the hot wetness of his mouth on me. And after a few minutes of his slow torcher his tongue unhurriedly makes its way up my shaft and he pulls the head of my cock into his warm, wet mouth. I think I cry out in ecstasy, but at his point the only thing I am sure of is that Derek Freaking Hale is giving me a blow job. He torturously moves his mouth down to engulf my whole length and when he reaches the base I can feel his throat expand to accommodate it all. It is so tight and so warm, I know I won’t last long. Then I remember what he wants me to do, and I hope that his is up for it because I can’t take it any longer. 

So I jerk my hips up and thrust even further into his throat. And the growl/moan that comes from his chest sends vibrations through me to the core. I pull out and thrust back in, a bit gently, because I know that this is his first time and I don’t want him to choke, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem. He bobs his head up and down while I thrust in and out. “Derek- I’m not gonna- Oh, God! I can’t-“ the growling continues and I stare into his eyes as I finally give myself into the release with one final thrust in. He pulls his head back a bit so he can taste me, and I can see him swallow every bit. Only a small dribble manages to escape the corner of his mouth and when he gently pulls off of me, I can’t help but thumb the bit he missed and press it into his mouth. He sucks my finger dry and then crashes down on top of me in a bruising kiss. But he is still hard and I want to help him. He has been jerking himself off this entire time, I just couldn’t see it. I go to move so I can return the favor, but he keeps me still.

“Want to mark you. Need to mark you.” I nod and reach down to firmly grasp him in hand and keep up the steady strokes he has been using and pull him in for a firey kiss. It doesn’t take too long for him to tense up and send his own release over my torso. After his body stops shaking from his orgasm, he moves one of his hands to spread his seed all over my chest and abdomen. It’s kinda gross and kinda hott all the same time. I won’t be able to take a shower until tomorrow, but if it makes him happy, I can live with it for the night. 

(End)_________________________________________________________________________________

He pulls off my shirt and grabs one of his own helping me to put it on. I am still a bit shaky and I don’t think that I can sit upright on my own right now. Then we lie back down and he pulls one of the blankets over us. “That was amazing. I had no idea it could be like that.”

He nuzzles into my neck again. “Me either.”

That makes me happy. To know that he has never had it as good as he does with me. And we haven’t even gone all the way yet. I shift to get a bit more comfortable and bring the sleeve of his shirt up to my nose to inhale his scent. “You know, I still have the shirt you wore that day.”

“What shirt?” he says lazily.

“The one I made you change out of when Danny was there in my room, and I had you try on about four different shirts. I still have the one you left there. The one with the blood on it. It’s embarrassing to say, but I couldn’t bring myself to wash it. And before you started sleeping in my bed, I used it as a nightshirt. There were so many nights I wouldn’t be able to sleep without breathing in your scent. I ran through a whole rollercoaster of emotions that day. I kept imagining you taking that shower, knowing you were naked not ten feet from me and I was unable to do anything about it. You came out of the bathroom smelling like you and me, and I was so happy. Then seeing you shirtless, and wanting to jump you in my room. When Danny started ogling you I was so jealous and then angry that anyone but me got to see you like that. I didn’t get why I felt that way then, but now it all makes sense.” 

He lets out a low chuckle and a deep playful growl. “I still have the shirt I borrowed from you too. I wear it often. When I didn’t think I could have you it was the only think that kept me from going into your room at night and pulling an Edward Cullen.”

My eyes go wide and I turn quickly in his arms staring at him. “You did not just make a Twilight reference!”

He gives a small laugh. “For some bizarre reason, Laura loved those books. I think she liked the exaggerated romanticized notion of them and what they represent, although false, of what a romance could mean with us. She would go on and on about finding that one person that kept her tethered to earth above everything else. Little did I know, that feeling is a real possibility. I know it’s cheesy, but that is the way I feel about you.”

“You know I love cheesy right? The cheesier the better. I’ll take all the cheese. Plus I know you are a romantic at heart. I mean look what you planned for our first date.”

“This was nothing. I didn’t even take you out to eat.”

“Derek, I don’t need those things. Don’t really want them either. I mean if you want to treat us to a plush dinner at a five star restaurant, far be it from me to stop you, but this, what we are doing right now, this is what I want. For you to share something personal with me, something that no one else gets to see. A part of you that belongs to me and no other. Little moments mean more than all the big ones. It’s the little things you miss later on. So bring me chocolates and crap like that, but don’t make it a big gesture. Unless you did something to piss me off. Then it better be the biggest cheesiest most romantic gesture, like standing under my window with a boom-box, or getting together a flash-mob, or sending me five-hundred violets.”

“Violets?”

“They were my mom’s favorite flower. Mind too for all that. Especially the wild ones, you know the ones that pop up in the grass and are actually weeds. I like them because they are random, and unexpected. Everyone gets dandelions, but the violets are rarer.”

“Only you would think a weed is beautiful.”

I scoff, faking mock hurt, and curl into his chest to hide the smile on my face. “That reminds me, how is the house coming? Do you have a floor plan yet?”

“I have a few ideas, but I wanted to ask what you thought.”

“You want my input?”

“Well, yeah. I mean it will be your house too.” That’s when it hits me. I’m gonna be living with Derek. I mean I knew it was going to happen, and that what we have will last forever, but I guess I never really thought about it. Then it makes me giddy with excitement. “I’ve been wanting to ask you if you would move in with me after you finish high school. I don’t know what your plans for college are but I will support you in whatever you want to do. If you want to leave Beacon Hills, then I will move wherever you want.” I can’t help but kiss him.

“Yes. I’ll move in with you. I would do it now if I thought my dad would let me get away with it. And I don’t really plan on going anywhere. This town is my home. It’s where I grew up, it’s where my family is. Where you are.”

“What about school?”

“Well I want to be a cop, so all I have to do is go through the criminal justice courses at the tech school in the next town over. I can commute there, and take a bunch of classes online. It is what I was going to do anyway. Even before I knew this was a possibility.”

“But you could go away to school. You’re smart, Stiles. Really smart. You could probably go anywhere.”

“Yeah, I could. And I might apply to some of those places just to see if I get in, but this is where my home is. This is where my heart is. I don’t want to leave.”

“What about the college experience?”

“Meh, I don’t really think I am missing out. I am not going to be hooking up with random people, going to the parties without you would be boring, and I would probably get stuck with a shitty dorm mate. If I stay, then I get to stay near the pack, near my dad, and near you. We can party like nobody’s business, I will have the best hook up every night of the week, and I know how my roommate sleeps already, so I don’t see any downsides. We will be sharing a room right? Cause if not, I am so sneaking into yours every night.”

He gives a full, loud, laugh. “Of course it will be our room.”

“Good. And as for floor plans, we need a large kitchen with tons of pantry space. Feeding werewolves is no easy task. I like more open spaces, letting everything flow together. And a large library slash office. Everyone should have their own room. Isaac is going to be living with you, so he should get a slightly bigger one, and maybe one slightly further away from ours, or at least with some kind of sound defuser. That way we both have some sense of privacy, even if you can both still hear each other. And Peter should get his own room too. He is part of the pack, and needs a place to stay. He has some shitty apartment right now, but he should stay at the main house. Erica and Boyd can share a room. Same goes for Jackson and Lydia. Allison and Danny each get one too. And we should probably have a few extra bedrooms, just in case someone starts having kids. Gotta plan ahead.”

That is when I stop talking. I know Derek’s and my relationship is still new and we have a long way to go before we start thinking about kids, but… I know I want them. I am pretty sure he will too. And I can’t give him any. He can feel the sadness that overtakes me, and he lifts my chin to look him in the eyes. “Stiles, what is it?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Stiles…”

“I was just running my mouth off and when I mentioned kids, well, I know that I wanted to have some. I was an only child, and that really sucked. And you come from a big family, and you probably want to have some too. But I can’t give you any.” My face falls again, but he picks it back up.

“Stiles, I would like to have kids eventually. But if we don’t then I’m okay with that. This is a conversation that doesn’t have to happen right now. We are both young. And we have options. But I do agree about the bedrooms. Everyone should always feel like the house is home. So how many bedrooms do we need?”

I breathe a sigh of relief when he reassures me about the future. I just want to be able to make him happy. But then he gets me back on the house. “Well about six for just the pack, and probably should add on three more. Plus we will need about four or five bathrooms. Defiantly a master bath, and Isaac should get his own too. At least a half bath on the first floor. And, wow, we are gonna need a three story house. Are you going to be able to afford that?”

A sad look crosses his face, but then is replaced with a happier one. “I have all the money my family had, and we were pretty well off. Plus the life insurance money is there. I don’t like to use it recklessly. Laura and I lived with just the bare essentials and we both worked to pay for most of that. The only thing she ever splurged on was the Camaro. So I am going to use that money to pay for the house, and help the pack with school. Isaac won’t need it so much because he will be coming into his own money, but Boyd and Erica can both use the help. You too. I don’t really see it as my money. It’s the pack’s money.”

“Derek, I can afford school.”

“I don’t care if you can or not. I want to help. You’re my Mate, and I love you. You have to let me do things for you.”

“I know, but I don’t like being unbalanced in this relationship. You have so much to offer me, and all I bring to the table is me.”

“Stiles, that is so much more than what I have. Money means nothing to me. You are everything. If we never got to this point, I would have been happy enough to just be near you. The fact that I will be able to wake up every morning next to you for the rest of our lives, well. I don’t need anything else.” I don’t know what to say after that. He is the only one that can manage to silence me. So we lie there for the rest of the night watching the moon and the stars come out. Thinking of what the future might bring. I don’t know how, but I will find a way for the two of us to have kids. There has to be a way. The rest of the night is spend lazing about enjoying the view and the watching the stars come out. 

“Best first date ever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so there's Scott. What do you think of what he has to do to gain atonement? Then Stiles and Derek's have their first date night. Sexy times, but also some more info that is stuff people use all the time in their fics, but don't always explain. I tried my best.
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say that there will be no mpreg in this story. I have plans, they will be talked about in a few chapters, but nothing definite for a while. Also I am going to do my best to keep posting regularly, but Mono is something that I am going to be dealing with for the next few months, so I may have to drop to single post weeks instead of double like I have been. I am going to do my best, but it is hard to write and concentrate when all I feel like doing is sleeping. Please be patient with me, I promise I will finish this story!

After waking up in the morning and getting the campsite cleaned up we head back to the jeep and head home. “What do you have planned for the day?”

“Well I was thinking since you have to work I might start setting up the wards around the perimeter of our territory. That way we know when anything supernatural comes to town.” He started working at the Mechanic’s shop part time just like he said he would, and the wards are something I have been meaning to do. Just haven’t found the time to.

“That sounds like a good idea. But take someone with you. Erica and Boyd should be free today. I don’t want you going out there alone.”

“Okay. I think you are being a bit to overprotective, but I will.”

“Thank you. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“I know. Now, are you going to join me for a shower, or are you going to make me take one alone?”  
(Start)________________________________________________________________________________  
Once we get in the house our clothes start coming off, leaving a trail upstairs to the bathroom. This is the first time we will have showered together and I am finally going to be able to watch the water cascade down his back. By the time I get the water the way I like it, we are gratuitously making out against the counter. My hands are roaming his back, and his are cupping my ass, pulling me closer. After pulling away to take a breath I usher us under the water and start to clean up from our activities of last night. Dried cum all over your body is not all that pleasant. After I get a basic scrub over my front, Derek, who hasn’t stopped kissing my neck, washes my back and soaps right down to my crack. He gently nudges a finger against my hole and I squirm back on it trying to get more friction. 

As the water removes the suds from my body, I remember what I wanted to do last night, but was stopped from doing. So I turn and place my hands on Derek’s chest and let them slide down until I have his hardness grasped in one hand while the other massages his balls. When I look up to his eyes they are that beautiful purple with a touch of silver. Placing my mouth against his I start to jerk him off in a slow teasing manner. He is having none of that though and starts thrusting into my hand and tries to make a grab for my own aching hard on, but I bat his hand away. This is about him.

Slowly I slip my mouth from his and suck a mark on his neck that will be healed before we even get out of the shower. Then I tongue at the bite mark I left on his shoulder as my claim on him. This has him shuttering against me and I can’t help the smile that finds its way to my mouth. My tongue starts dancing down his chest and I nip at his nipple tugging just a bit to make it even harder and earning a gasp from the man it’s attached to. Not wanting the other one to feel left out I give it the same treatment and slightly speed up my hand giving it a little twisting motion once I reach the head. He is leaking profusely now, and I want a taste, so I move up my other hand that was massaging his balls to gather some of the clear liquid on my fingertips and bring it up to my mouth to obscenely lick it away. It is a bit bitter, but I can’t help wanting more. 

My tongue keeps making its way further down and I trace over his defined abs relishing in the way they jump under my ministrations. Then I am on my knees and staring up at Derek. “You don’t have to do this.” His breath is coming in short puffs, and I think he is on the edge. Just the way I want him. To know that I am the one doing this to him give me a rush of power that almost makes my head spin.

“I know, but I want to. I want to so badly.” I release his cock from my grasp on it and let it spring back against his abdomen. Licking a slow trail from the base all the way to the head is like heaven. Taking the head into my mouth I start to think back to the practice I had on my toys, and the techniques I read about online. This is my first time giving a real blow job and I want it to be a good one. I pull off the head after hollowing out my cheeks , “If I do something you don’t like, or you want me to do something differently, let me know.” Then I lower my head back over his, and let it glide into my throat. I can’t take much more than half of it before I start to choke a bit, and that disappoints me a bit. Derek was able to take me whole last night, and I want to be able to do the same for him. Damn gag reflex. 

So I bob up and down for a bit, and try to keep my teeth away from his sensitive flesh, but that isn’t what he wants. “Use a bit of teeth, yeah like, uh, like that.” His hands are threaded through my hair and as I look up his head is thrown back in ecstasy. Every time I pull away I drag my tongue up the bottom of his shaft and lick right into the slit on his head. My jaw starts to ache, but in a good way. I don’t think I will ever not love doing this. Precome is leaking insensately into my mouth and I swallow all of it. After a few minutes I am able to take most of his cock into my mouth without gagging too much, so I start to increase my pace. His thighs start to shudder and I can feel him start to tense up. “Stiles, I’m about to-“ I bring my free hand up to wrap around the base of his cock and jerk him off in time with the bobbing of my head, and a low growl emanates from his chest.

The base of his dick starts to swell, and I know that I am about to be face to face with his knot very soon. “Stiles!” It comes out more of a roar, and I move both hands to encircle his knot and hold firmly right behind where it meets with his body, letting him feel like he is tied to me. He lets out one more gasp and then cum starts to flood my mouth and I have to pull off after five spurts because the sheer volume would drown me. I swallow what I can, and I think I may be addicted to the taste of it. His knot is pulsing as he continues to shoot all over my chest and face. It goes on for about five minutes as it starts to taper off, but the knot is still full. 

Derek looks a bit embarrassed, so I stand and start to rub his cum into my skin and swipe my tongue around my lips to get the rest that is there. “How long does it last?”

“Not sure.” He won’t meet my eyes. 

“Derek,” I lift his head to look me in the eyes, “That was probably the hottest thing ever. Don’t be embarrassed.” He just turns a bit redder and helps to start rewashing my body. After I am clean again, he still hasn’t gone down, so I let my hand grab him again and the gasp I get tells me that he doesn’t mind in the least. So I gently turn him around and start stroking him from behind running my other hand all over his chest and torso. His head falls back onto my shoulder and I pull him into a scorching kiss. I keep my ministrations almost lazy, just letting him enjoy the feeling, but when the sensations starts to become too much for him, I lower my wandering hand and tighten it behind the base of his knot and giving him the pressure he needs. Picking up the pace of my strokes it doesn’t take long for him to find his release again. I keep moving up and down his shaft as he comes a second time, and feel him shake in pleasure against me. 

As we let that wash away his knot slowly starts to go down. I could probably get him off again, but I can tell that it would be too much for him right now. After seeing his knot up close and feeling the heat it gives off, I can’t wait for the moment when I will feel it swell in me and have it tie us together. Good God I want it so bad. I help him dry off, not being in complete control of his faculties, and take us back to my room so we can get dressed and ready for our day.  
(End)_________________________________________________________________________________  
…

After Derek leaves for his new job at the mechanic’s I text Erica to have her and Boyd come over so I can get to work on the wards. And I make sure to tell her to be ready to hike in the woods. And they show up at my house about twenty minutes later. Boyd makes a face when I step outside and Erica smiles evilly. They can totally smell what Derek and I have been up to. I’m not that surprised though. I mean he did rub his cum into my skin and it was left there over night. Plus our shower wasn’t without its own merit. But this is the life of being in a wolf pack, so I guess everyone just has to get used to it. 

We start off by the old/new Hale house. More of the landscaping has been done since they are waiting on the final blueprints. Derek asked if I would go with him to the architect’s office on Monday with him to do just that. So for now we bypass the house and continue on foot into the woods. Boyd offers to carry me for a bit, just to make travel time faster. And at first I decline, but after walking for three hours, only covering five miles, and setting two markers, I decide to take him up on it. So I get to ride piggy back as we race through the woods, and we make pretty good time. We are half way around the perimeter of the city when I get this insane amount of anger from one of the wolves. It takes me about five seconds to realize that it’s Isaac. Boyd and Erica feel it too, and before I know it I am back on Boyd’s back and we are racing through the trees towards him. 

He is racing his own way through the woods, and as the fastest wolf in the pack there is no way that we are catching up to him, so I tug on the bond between us and that gets his attention. “Isaac! Hold up!” He stops and once we get to him the three of us crush him into a group hug. He is almost vibrating in anger. “Dude, what’s wrong?” Isaac never gets this angry. He is probably the mellowest of the whole pack and has a really great control over his emotions. He shoots me a look that says he doesn’t want to talk about it in front of the others. “Hey, why don’t you two go make out in the woods somewhere? I’ll call you when I’m ready to start up again.” Boyd just nods his head in acceptance, but Erica looks like she wants to stay.

“Please, Erica.” He says it firmly, but there is a hint of pleading in his voice and she relents. 

“Just let me know if I have to claw somebody’s face off ‘kay?” Isaac rolls his eyes, but grips her forearm in an affectionate manner. The two Betas leave and Isaac still looks hesitant to say anything, so I pull him into another hug and put his nose into the crook of my neck and let him scent me. This is always the fastest way to calm him down. Little did I know that Derek lets him do this too. I’m not sure who he gets more comfort from, but either way it is something that he needs. After a couple minutes, his shoulders sag and his whole body relaxes from the tenseness he was carrying. 

“What’s got you acting like Derek 2.0?”

That gets a laugh from him and he pulls back, but then his face goes back to the scowl he had on before. “Scott.”

“What did he do?” I ask this warily. I think I know where this is heading.

“He tried to ask me to forgive him. I don’t know where he gets off talking to me like he did nothing wrong! I mean he was honest with the words and the meaning, but I still don’t think he gets it! He just thinks that by saying sorry that I will forgive and forget. I know he helped me during the game with Gerard, and that he thought he was doing the right thing, but in the end he was only looking out for himself. And I can’t let that go. Not when it hurt you and Derek. Especially the way it hurt you and Derek.” He started his rant in anger and then towards the middle it shifts to one of sadness.

“You remember a few days ago when you guys came over and I was crying on the couch with Derek?”

“Yeah?” 

“Right before you guys got there, I was talking to Scott. He wanted my forgiveness too. He wanted me to speak to Derek about letting him join the pack.” Isaac starts to growl and I lay a hand on his arm to calm him. I let him take a minute to collect himself before continuing. “He didn’t say anything hurtful, that isn’t why I was crying. I was crying because I was mourning the loss of the friendship I had with him. The fact that he wants to use me again to further himself was a cruel punch to our already fragile relationship. I told him that I wouldn’t help him. And that it is Derek he should be talking to about being admitted into the pack. But I also told him what I would say when Derek asked me about my thoughts on it. And what Derek would make him do to regain the lost trust we all had in him. He asked Derek the next day and I told him what I thought.”

“What is it that he has to do?”

“I told him that he has to seek and gain forgiveness from the whole pack. Only then would I forgive him for what he has done. If everyone in the pack is able to pardon his transgressions then so can I. So that is why he is asking you. Because I told him that is what needs to be done.”

“But why start with me? I am Derek’s second, you’re my best friend, he hurt the two people I care most about. How can he think that I would be the best first option?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he doesn’t know how close you are to us, he didn’t really stay that close in school after everything, so I don’t know if he saw how close you and I have become. He might not know that you are Derek’s second. It isn’t something we have even talked about in the pack, everyone just kinda knows. Maybe it’s because he thought you would be the most open to him. Like you said, he did save you from Gerard, and you helped him with Jackson before everyone else got there. After me and Allison you are the one he was most familiar and friendly with in the pack. Or maybe he thought that you would be the best option because of your connections with everyone else in the pack. You are kind of integral in the way we function. You act like everyone’s kid brother.” I reach out and ruffle his hair. “Everyone loves you and respects you. If you were to forgive him the others might be more willing to.” He moves away from my hand but keeps close to me. He is thinking over everything I said to him. “But I don’t want you to not forgive him because I haven’t. That isn’t fair to him.”

“Really? You are going to defend him now?”

“No, I’m not. But the things I have to forgive him for are different than yours. I know that this is your pack, your family, just like it is mine. But my view over you guys is different than yours is.”

He rolls his eyes and gives me a smirk. “Yeah, you’re pack mom.”

“Damn right I am. But really more like pack dad, dude, so not a girl here.” He gives me a hearty chuckle. This is the Isaac I know. I don’t want to see the anger there again, not if I can help it. “So in order for me to forgive him, I need everyone else to. He hurt every one of you in different ways, and he needs to make amends with each of you individually. Also if I just forgive him, then I know that everyone else in the pack will be more willing to do so. Even Derek. And I don’t want that to be the reason that he gains his penance.”

“I suppose you’re right. If you were willing to accept then I know I would be more open to it. But I’m not. I think Derek will have to forgive him in order for me to. I can’t stand the way he hurt the both of you, but Derek got it so much worse. I’m sorry to say that, but from my point of view he did. Scott kept doing the same things to Derek, and Derek always let him come back. Then to be betrayed the way he did, almost letting Gerard be turned, and you know that he wouldn’t have been happy with anything but the Alpha power. And Scott was just going to let it happen. I just can’t…”

“I get it, and I agree. Derek has lost so much in his life, and the betrayal of someone who he considers pack, well that is like the ultimate ‘fuck you’. I can stand by your reasons, and won’t try to make you do anything you aren’t willing to do.” I pull him back into a hug and scent him so he can gain a bit more comfort. “I hate to have to ask this, but, did you hurt Scott when you left him? I mean, I have never felt that kind of anger come from you before. I just want to make sure you didn’t do anything you might regret later.”

“I think I may have decked him, but then I ran straight for the woods. I didn’t want to lose control and hurt anyone.” I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Good. I’m proud of you.” He preens at the compliment. “Would you like to join Erica, Boyd and I? We are setting up a ward around the perimeter of the territory so we know when something supernatural crosses onto our land.” He nods in agreement, and I go for my phone to text Erica that we are done talking and that they can meet back up with us. Then I see that I have a message from Derek asking if everything is alright, so I call him. 

“Hey, everything is fine. Promise. Isaac was just a bit upset about the Scott thing. I think we need to call a pack meeting tonight to let everyone know what will be happening, so no one is caught off guard again.”

Derek growls at the mention of Scott’s name, “Yeah, that would be good.”

“Okay, I’ll tell everyone to come over to the loft tonight so we can tell them, and I’ll make sure to have food for everyone.”

“Sounds good. And Isaac, thanks.” I roll my eyes at Isaac, but he knows they are meant for Derek. He wasn’t so happy about Scott asking to be part of the pack, but he also knows that I am worried about him being an Omega. Scott will still be my brother, and I want to help him. Derek agreed with my idea, and said that if he can gain forgiveness from the whole pack, then he would let Scott join. But this time Scott will have to submit to him and make it official. Not like before, when he just said he was.

“No problem Derek.”

“Okay, we are going to go back to setting up the wards now, so I will see you tonight when you get done. Love you.”

“You too.”

…

I send messages to the rest of the pack after I hang up with Derek, even one to Allison asking her to Skype in, and Erica keeps close to Isaac the rest of the day. After we finish, we head back to the loft and take turns in the shower. Then I start to prepare dinner for the pack. I know tensions will run high after the rest of them hear what Scott is up to, and I want to make sure everyone is as calm as possible. 

When Derek gets there he goes straight for Isaac and scent marks him before giving me a kiss and going to take his own shower. Isaac is in a much better mood than before, but he is still not 100% himself. I make sure to touch him every time we cross paths, by ruffling his hair, squeezing his shoulder, or running my fingers along his arm. He slowly starts to relax further and by the time the others get there he is back to himself. We all eat in the living room sprawled about all over each other. Peter still sits further off, but over the last few weeks, he has been making his way closer. The others don’t seem to mind, and that makes me glad. They are finally accepting him into the pack.

When I start up the Skype chat with Allison and hook her up to the TV, Isaac starts to tense again, but Derek is there to put an arm around his shoulder, and Erica on his other side with her arms curled around his. “Okay, so I have to let you all know something so none of you freak out when it happens. I don’t want you all to be mad, but you probably will be anyway.”

“Just spit it out Stiles.” Lydia was never one to beat around the bush.

“Okay, well a few days ago, Scott approached me and we talked. Well more like I talked and he made snide remarks. Then he went and talked to Derek. He wants to join the pack.” Instanyly there are many cries of ‘no’ and ‘I can’t believe him’. Allison and Peter are the only two who didn’t know that remain silent. “Guys, settle. Now Derek and I discussed it, and you all know that I have been worried about Scott becoming an Omega. I don’t want that for him, and there aren’t any other pack nearby that he can join. He is still my brother and I do want him part of this pack, but his admittance into the pack is conditional. Derek and I decided that in order for him to join he has to seek forgiveness from the entire pack. From everyone. Isaac was the first person he approached, and he was caught unawares. His reaction was not the best. I don’t know how Scott is going to go about this, I don’t want to know what he says to you. If you want to tell me, I will listen, but you have to accept or deny him on your own terms. He hurt everyone in this pack. Even you Danny. He set a precedent that is completely unacceptable. We work together as a team, when one of us is hurting, everyone is. We help each other, and Scott went against that. I told him that I would only accept his apology to me when all of you have. This doesn’t mean that you should all just accept because you know I want him here. This has to be a decision made on your own. I don’t know when or how he is going to go about asking, or doing this, but I just wanted you all to be prepared for it.”

Everyone remains silent for a few minutes after I finish speaking. Then Erica speaks up. “So, he has to be forgiven by all of us? What if one of us refuses to accept?”

“Then he won’t be allowed into the pack. I want you all to feel safe and comfortable with everyone. If you don’t want him here then he won’t be. That is why Derek and I made this a pack decision, and not just made the choice ourselves. This is our family. Adding new family members can be easy, but I want us to all get along and respect one another. Things will obviously always be awkward in some cases, but in the end, I know any of you would be willing to do just about anything for anyone else here.”

“I don’t know that I can forgive him.” Erica gets up and heads up the spiral staircase to one of the bedrooms. Allison says that she should get going, but she will be back in town in a few weeks. Boyd starts to follow Erica, but I stop him and go after her myself. When I get up there I find her in Isaac’s room curled up on his bed.

“Hey.” I lay down and curl against her wrapping her in a tight embrace. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t think I can do it.” I kind of want to praise her and scold her at the same time. I guess that’s how Derek felt when Isaac lashed out against Scott. 

“Why not?”

She lets out a short bark of a laugh. “Stiles, he treated us all like shit. He looked down on us for making the choice to take the bite.” She turns and looks me in the eyes. “Then when all the shit with Gerard went down, he sided with the enemy, and he hurt you so much. I saw how much he kept hurting you, and yet you kept going back to him.” She drops her gaze. “It was one of the reasons I wanted to leave. You were so obviously pack, yet you kept working with Scott, and let him be there when it should have been us. I didn’t think that there was room for us. And I love Derek like an older brother, but he was pretty shitty at being an Alpha. I know he was trying, but like you’ve said so many times before, he was never trained for this. He wasn’t really prepared. But then you came back, and you told Scott off. Did you know that when Derek was holding you back, Isaac and Boyd were doing the same with me? At first I was so caught up in the moment of winning that I didn’t think about how we got there. Then you decked him. You broke his jaw, Stiles, you broke a Werewolf’s jaw. You are seriously badass!”

I can’t help but let out a bit of chuckle. “Yeah, I totally am. Finally someone recognizes my badassery!”

She smiles again. “But that only reminded me of what he had done. Then you started yelling. I fed off of your anger, and I let it fuel my own. I know you and Derek are True Mates or whatever, but you are just as much my Alpha as Derek is. Hell I think I would listen to you over Derek most days. You are like my kid brother, and I feel like Scott is your old best friend who turned into the school yard bully. I can’t let go of what happened, and how he hurt you. I know you don’t show it to the rest of us, but I know how you feel. I could see it in your eyes every time you saw him at lunch, and I see it every time his name is mentioned. I see you, Stiles, probably just as much as Isaac does. Probably not as much as Derek, but, pretty damn close. So I don’t think I can forgive him for what he has done to you, until you can. I know that goes against what you want of us, but I just can’t.”

“Okay, then how about this. When he gets acceptance from everyone else, then we will do it together. I understand where you are coming from. That is why I can’t say yes to him until the rest of the pack does. But we can do it together when the time comes. How does that sound?” She nods her head in agreement. “Good, now how about we go back downstairs and get some of that ice cream I have hidden in the freezer.” She just smiles and lets me pull her downstairs. Boyd is there waiting as we get down there, and he pulls her into a hug and tugs her toward the kitchen. Derek isn’t far off, and has me pulled into his arms just as quickly. 

“Everything okay?” I know he heard every word we said, but I like that he gave Erica a sense of privacy. 

“No, but it will be.” Then I move us to the kitchen as well spooning myself a generous about of ice cream and heading back into the living room where everyone had started watching a movie. I don’t know if they will be able to give what Scott needs, but I know that they will each make the best choice for themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you get to see how Isaac and Erica react to Scott starting the apologies. Next chapter will be more reactions, and we are closing in on the end of this part! The next part is going to be called True Power, and it will be dealing with the Alpha pack. It is also the last part to this story. I have a few one-shot ideas, and there will be an epilogue. I plan to wrap all things up in a nice little package. 
> 
> As always please let me know what you think! Love to hear what you guys have to say and think!


	9. Chapter 9

The next two weeks are the fastest and the slowest weeks I have ever endured. The full moon comes quickly, and we all meet up at the site for the new hale house. Lydia and Danny are together having a movie night at the loft, and we will all meet up back there after our run. I am pretty nervous to go on my first run with the wolves, but I have been practicing the shift and I am pretty sure that I will be able to keep up with them. I think the thing I have been getting more nervous over is the fact that I will be getting naked in front of the rest of the pack. Yeah, only Derek has seen me like that, and I am not sure I am ready for the others to see me in all my glory. 

I mean being in a wolf pack, you kinda lose some of the personal boundary stigma. With all the puppy piles, boners and arousal happen. How can it not with that many hot, and I mean that in a warm way, bodies are pressed all together. You just start to feel comfortable with it. But it is another thing entirely when only you and your Alpha are going to be the ones to get undressed in front of the others. The rest of the pack wear loose comfortable clothing that lets them shift but doesn’t get in the way. Only an Alpha has the ability to shift fully into a wolf. And that wolf is a representation of the human side. 

That’s why when Peter was an Alpha, he was slightly deformed. It reflected the crazy that was going on in his head. Derek’s form is a wolf, but larger than normal, I think that has something to do with the fact that he is a True Alpha. His power is greater, even though he really hasn’t shown it. 

So everyone can tell that I am a bit edgy before the moon rises, and when the time comes for the shift to happen, they all turn around while I undress. Well, all of them except Erica. She eyes me up but that is to be expected. As soon as I drop my pants I let the shift happen. Derek once described his shift to me. He said that it was letting natural instinct take over, and the primal force of the wolf coming to the surface. For me it’s different. I have to call the fox forward. It is natural in a way, but it isn’t clawing at the surface to get out. I know that there are times when Derek and I are getting really into it, and he has to pull away because the wolf wants to play. And there is a part of me that wishes he wouldn’t. I mean yeah it might freak me out a bit at first, but there is a part of me that wants him to just lose control with me. 

The first time I told him as much, he had to leave. He came back an hour later embarrassed and when I asked why he left, he wouldn’t answer me. But I think it’s because like always, the urge to just claim me was overwhelming. Blow jobs have become a regular thing between us now, and the marking hasn’t stopped either. But the addition of fingers has started. And all the practice on my own, never prepared me for that. What surprised me more, was when he wanted me to do it back to him. I was fully prepared to always be the bottom in our relationship. The fact that I potentially will have the chance to top too, well let’s just say that has led to some amazing, mind blowing, orgasms. 

But that is all beside the point, right now I am foxed out and we are running through the woods. Derek wants to keep our new secret hideaway, well, a secret. At least for now. We have used it a few more times for dates away from the public, but we aren’t hiding our relationship anymore. We have had a few dates in public, mostly dinner and movies. There really isn’t all that much to do in a small town like Beacon Hills.

The run goes pretty smoothly. And by smoothly I mean some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time! The pack is so playful and full of energy. It’s infectious. I nip at their heels, and we play a massive game of tag. Even Peter joins us at some point and there is no awkwardness about it. Derek even gets in on the playfulness. He is almost more hyper than the Betas. 

When we get back to the house and Derek and I am dressed again, we head to the loft and I start on making up some food. The pack is always starving after a run, and I had things prepared so I could just throw the pizzas in the oven and finish up the cake I had made earlier in the day. 

But things couldn’t stay this good. They never can. I told the pack that they don’t have to tell me how, when, or why Scott comes to them. I told them that they don’t have to tell me what he says, but for some reason they all do. He goes to Jackson and Lydia first. 

Jackson comes to me after with a guilty look on his face. “Stiles, can we talk?”

I am so taken aback by the genuine and solemn sincerity in his voice. “Yeah, sure. Whatcha need?”

“Uh, maybe in private?” We are at the loft, and the rest of the pack is there as well. I can tell they are all listening even though they are trying to make it appear as if they aren’t. 

“Yeah, Why don’t we go for a drive?” I look over to Derek. “Why don’t you order some take out and we can pick it up on our way back?” He nods to me and sends a look of concern to Jackson. He has been getting so much better about showing his emotions to the others. 

So Jackson and I head down to my jeep and I start driving without a destination in mind. I can tell that he is trying to find the words to speak, so I let us sit in silence until he is ready to talk. He opens his mouth a few times, but no words come out. Then, “So Scott called me the other day.” This is what I thought it would be about. “He wanted to talk in person so we met up at the lacrosse field at school to get some practice in. it felt kinda weird, but I didn’t know how else to talk to him. Plus I got to rough him up a bit, so…” I can’t help the small laugh that escapes my mouth. “While we practiced, he started talking. And it was all just rehashing what had gone on when everything was going to hell.” Those last words come out strangled, he still blames himself for all the murders and for him becoming the Kanima. I really wish he wouldn’t. The rest of us don’t put that blame on him. No one could have known that he wouldn’t have become a wolf. “And as he was trying to defend himself, he kept saying how wrong he was. How he blames himself for a lot of the shit that went down. And most of it is his fault, and he should accept the blame. But there was this other part of me that was sympathizing with what he was saying. I know you guys don’t blame me for what happened, but I still do. And I don’t think that anything any of say will change that. Scott just stood there and looked broken.” There is a long pause, “I forgave him, after I gave him a good verbal warning that if he ever pulls anything like that again I will rip his throat out. And I hope that you don’t hate me for it, I just couldn’t help it. He was only doing what he thought was right, even if it was misguided and selfish.”

I pull over to the side of the road, and look him in the eyes. “Jacks, I already told you guys, I wouldn’t. I want all of you to be able to do it on your own. It is each of your guys’ decision. I won’t think any less or higher of you no matter what you decide.” Then I put a hand on his shoulder and he sags in relief. “You know you didn’t owe me an explanation right?”

“No, I did. Out of everyone in the pack, I have treated you the worst. And I’ll deny it if anyone ever asks, but I kind of admire you, Stiles. You really did try to help me before I knew what was going on, and even though I cost you some trust with your dad, and continued to make your life a living hell, you still kept helping me. I don’t know anyone else who would do something like that for someone. Especially someone who has done nothing but bully you. I am grateful for my place in the pack, and I don’t want to do anything that would get me kicked out. So I just had to let you know why I forgave him. I had to.” The look he gives me is almost pleading.

This is only the second time I have seen him this vulnerable. The first was when Lydia saved him. So I lean across the empty space and pull him into a bone crushing hug. “Dude, it’s okay. S’all good.”

When I pull away he just nods, “And don’t call me Jacks.” Totaling going to be his new nickname.

Lydia comes to me a few days after Jackson did, but she doesn’t explain herself. She just says that if Jackson could forgive him that she can too, enough said. I get it though. She didn’t feel part of the group and even after she joined the pack officially she still feels somewhat of an outsider. I mean she is connected to us in multiple ways, but Jackson is her main one, and without him she probably feels that her place is questionable. We will have to try and include her more in the goings on of the pack.

Danny is the third to come to me. We had to sit down one night after the pack meeting to explain all the shit that went down. I am somewhat surprised to hear other people’s views and reactions to certain events, but after a few hours I can still tell that Danny doesn’t really know how to feel. 

When he does come to me, he still looks confused. “Sup Danny?”

“I think I just forgave Scott, but I’m not really sure.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well he texted me and we met at that coffee shop downtown. And he started talking about all that stuff you guys told me, but I made him stop. My head is still kinda reeling with all the information you guys gave me, and I think I wasn’t prepared for him to unload his drama too. I know that Jackson and Lydia have forgiven him, and I know that Isaac and Erica won’t. I get it. But I don’t get why he has to have my forgiveness too.”

“It’s pretty simple actually. When he was making all those choices, it affected everyone in the pack. Those choices are still affecting everyone in the pack. Think about it. If Scott would have listened to me and Derek about not playing in his first lacrosse game, and tried to gain better control over himself, do think that Jackson would have asked for the bite from Peter? He wouldn’t have even known that Werewolves exist. The Kanima would never have been a problem, and Matt, although crazy, would still be alive. Gerard would have had to find a different way to gain vengeance, which could have let to actual jail time and regular punishment instead of giving Derek the guilt of another Argent death. So many of the things he did are still causing shit for us. And now you are one of us. You are pack. Whether you take the bite or not. So his poor judgment affects you too, Danny.”

“Damn, I guess I never thought about it like that. And what do you mean if I take the bite?”

“I mean that if you wanted to become a werewolf. There are a lot of things that you and Derek need to talk about beforehand, and a few things that need to take place before it would happen, but it is a possibility. Derek is the one who makes those verdicts, but he usually does ask me my opinion on most things.”

“What would you say to him? If you don’t mind me asking?”

I wave a hand like it’s no big deal. “I would tell him that either way you are an asset to the pack, and that wouldn’t change either way. If you stay human, that’s great. If you take the bite, that’s also great. Humans are important in the pack as well though. They help to ground the wolves, and tether them to their humanity. It is really easy to lose yourself to the instincts, and us humans help them remember that side of themselves. You remember how Isaac, Erica, and Boyd were right after they first turned right?”

“Yeah, they gained confidence, but it was delving more towards arrogance.”

“Exactly. I hadn’t joined the pack officially yet. They treated me okay, mostly because they could sense the connection between Derek and me, but towards others, they were kind of ass holes.”

“Yeah, they were, weren’t they?” He looks almost guilty saying it out loud, but smiles anyway.

“So, if you take the bite, or you don’t, you will always have a place here. If you stay human, you can train with Allison and Lydia. Allison can teach you how to use a bow and a few other weapons. If you don’t want to do that and solely be our resident computer genius, then that’s cool too. For a while all I was able to do was research. I have a bit more power now, so I won’t just sit back, but that choice is yours.”

“Thanks Stiles. I guess forgiving Scott wasn’t all that bad, and I will have to think some things over and talk to Derek.”

“Sounds good man.”

…

The New Hale house has finally gotten under way too. The framing is completely done, and now they are starting on the insulation and dry walling. Every night I have been sneaking into the construction zone to lay down protection runes, and various forms of shields into the property. I want to make sure that this is place Derek can call home for a very long time. Isaac has been helping me keep him busy while I am doing this. I want it to be a surprise for when the house is finished. 

And on my way back home from one such night, Boyd texts me and asks if I’m free. It’s been about a week since Danny, so I have been expecting this for a while now. I tell him to meet me at my house. When I get there he is sitting on the front step. He doesn’t make any motion to get up, so I go and sit next to him. Boyd has never really been much of a talker and I don’t know how this conversation is going to go, or if it will even go at all. 

He doesn’t so much start to speak as give off emotions. There is guilt, sadness, and a twinge of regret. I really don’t think he is going to say anything, so I do. I’m awesome at filling the empty silence. “So, you talked to Scott.” Nod. “Okay, and you forgave him?” Another nod. “And you wanted to make sure that everything is still good between us?” Then he shakes his head. “Okay, sorry dude, but you are gonna have to give me something more than that.”

He keeps his eyes downcast but starts talking. “Erica isn’t happy that I did.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Has she talked to you about why she won’t do it?” He nods his head. “Okay, so this isn’t something she is just going to get over. She is still pissed at him. So is Isaac. I had to stop being mad a while ago. I know why he did it, I just don’t approve. But I bet you did because you and Erica thought about leaving. You feel guilty over that, and you understand where Scott is coming from. You probably feel that what you were going to do was worse in some ways because Derek is your Alpha, he helped you and you feel guilty that you weren’t going to stand by him like you feel you should have.” He just nods his head. I know it is a yes to everything. “Did you tell Erica all of that?” He shakes his head again. “So go tell her. She may not agree with you, and you might fight over this, but eventually she will understand. She feels the same way, but that is why she is standing so firmly against Scott. You guys didn’t turn your back on the pack, you stayed. Even though you thought about leaving, you didn’t. I love Erica to pieces, but she can hold a grudge like no other. And she is fiercely protective of us. So tell her how you feel, and things will get better.” He nods and pulls me into a one armed hug, then let’s go and starts walking down the street. 

Each encounter with the pack is different. Jackson wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings, Lydia didn’t care what I thought at all and just told me like it is, Danny asked for conformation on his role in the pack, and Boyd was more worried about Erica than about how I would feel. But each of their responses were something that I was halfway prepared for. I’m not psychic or anything, but the pack bond combined with my empathy, has given me certain insight into each of the pack members and how the react and respond to things. When Scott tries to talk to Erica, she just flips him off and walks away. Later, Boyd told me that he told Scott when he will gain his forgiveness from Erica, and Scott tried to talk to her again. This time she decked him and I was there to witness it. I made sure Scott was okay, and then promptly yelled at Erica. But she just smiled and said that she didn’t regret it. Part of me is proud of her and the other part is furious. But Scott knows better now than to try and get her to come around.

Peter’s reaction is the one I am most curious about. He is still pretty unpredictable, and creepy as hell, but he is trying. When we had the pack meeting where I told everyone what Scott was up to, he was the only one that didn’t talk, the only one to not give off any emotion at all. That has me both a bit worried and scared. I don’t know how he is able to do that, but then I still don’t know how it is he managed to come back from the dead. He won’t divulge that information, and I don’t think he will for a long time to come. But there is one matter I want to discuss with him, so I head over to the train yard which is where he can be found most days. But when I get there I feel a touch of anger coming from him. So I creep as quietly as I can, and chant the little spell I learned that can make my heartbeat undetectable to wolf ears. One of the many handy things Deaton shared with me.

When I get to the landing I see Scott there. And Peter is almost wolfed out, ready for the attack. I throw down some mountain ash and will it to make me invisible, unscentable, and unheard. Virtually, I cease to exist to the five human senses. That is when Peter starts talking. 

“What are you doing here?” Okay so more snarling, than talking. 

“I wanted to talk.”

“No, you wanted to grovel.” Peter straitens up, and reverts to be completely human, except his eyes. They stay their crystal ice blue. A clear warning. “So, grovel away.”

“I won’t do that. You don’t deserve it.” Scott’s eyes glow their pale gold in return and his anger surges as he talks.

“And you don’t deserve admittance into the pack. I have my faults, I owned up to them. But at least I had the excuse of not being in the right mind. I burned into insanity. You don’t have that luxury. You did what you did out of pure selfish greed.”

“And if you had never bitten me then none of this would have every happened. I would never had to do those things, or been forced into those situations. This is all your fault.” There he goes again, blaming others. There is a hint of truth in what he says, but no one forced his hand.

“Ah, but Scotty boy, I didn’t make you what you became. I gave you the bite, but how many times did Stiles try to help you? How many times was he there for you when no one else was? How many times did he put himself in harm’s way to try and help you? How did you return the favor? You tried to kill his mate. You tried to kill his pack. You were only out for yourself, and for what it might get you in the end. Did you know that the night of the game, the night when Jackson was saved, what happened to Stiles to garner him those bruises? Did you stop to ask? What about when his father was fired from his job? Did you stop to ask how he was? Did you know? Did you care? Obviously not. Because if you had taken one minute to look at the person you called your best friend, you would have seen him fraying at the edges.”

“How do you even know all of this? You weren’t there for any of it!”

“No I wasn’t. But I asked Derek to share his memories with me of all that has happened while I was six feet under.” He did? Why didn’t Derek tell me that? “Of course he refused.” Oh, that’s why. “But through talking with the others I learned so much. Isaac was there for most of it. He consoled Stiles a lot in your absence. Did you know he talks in his sleep?” That is really something I need to get under control. Seriously.

“Of course I knew that.” Wow, I actually think that’s a lie. 

“No you don’t.” Thought so. “Well after I made my miraculous recovery, I spent quite a few nights patrolling around the human’s houses. Still do.” Creeper much? “And Stiles has a lot to say when he thinks no one is listening. Even after all this bull shit you put him through, he still cares about you. That first night after the Kanima was defeated, he cried in his sleep. He cried for the loss of his friend. Even still, he talks about you. He wants the pack to forgive you so you can join us. He wants his brother back. But you still can’t take responsibility for your actions.” The wolf starts to come out in Peter a bit more now. “And I won’t let you hurt this pack any more than you already have. If you manage to get everyone’s consent and you do join the pack, watch your back, because if you put one step out of line, one toe in the wrong direction, I won’t hesitate to tear you limb from limb.” Scott looks sufficiently terrified, and I am at a loss for words. I expected Peter to be snarky and eventually give in. This protectiveness is unexpected, yet not unwelcome. “So for now, you have my forgiveness, because that is what Stiles, and even secretly Derek, wants. But just remember what I’ve said.”

Scott nods and runs up the stairs past me, and when he is gone Peter slumps back onto one of the couches we put down here for when we have to do indoor training. I wait a beat two see if he will do anything else, but when five minutes pass and nothing happens, I break the circle and gather up as much ash I can. That is when Peter notices me. He has a crooked smile on his face as I descend the stairs and join him on the couch. “So that was a thing.”

“You heard all of it I assume.”

“Yes.”

“Good. Then I don’t have to come to you like all the other Betas have been.”

“You know I never expected them to do that.”

“Yes, but I also know you secretly love it. You love information, Stiles, almost as much as I do. And I stand by everything I said to him.”

“I know.” And really it makes me feel good about my decision to make Derek include Peter in the pack more. I think it helps ground himself. As nice as this was hearing what Peter has to say, it isn’t why I’m here. “But it’s the information part that actually brings me here to see you.” He lifts an eyebrow in my direction, and turns to face me. “So I don’t plan on this being a thing for a long time, but I just didn’t know how wolves went about doing it. And I thought that you might have an idea or two about how it could happen.”

“What do you want to happen, Red?”

I roll my eyes. “Well Derek and I were talking a while ago about the house, and then I started thinking about the pack having kids, and then that led me to the thought that I won’t be able to give Derek any. I looked through all the books that Derek has, but I wasn’t able to find anything. I want him to be able to have his own kids, but I know that if it is a wolf that carries them, then they won’t give them up, they will see them as their own. I also know that if it is a human, they might have a harder time of the pregnancy because were kids tend to be a bit stronger even in the womb. So I didn’t know if there was like a werewolf adoption agency or what.” He just smiles. “What?”

“Nothing. It’s just that you want to carry on the Hale line. You aren’t even fully mated yet, and you are already worried about things like this. I am curious if it is just you being yourself, or if it is the Mate bond the two of you share. I think it is more of the first, but not completely uninfluenced of the second.” I give him a ‘what the hell’ look and he just laughs harder. “Same sex couples are about as common in wolf society as they are in normal. So the fact that there are so many fewer wolves than humans, makes this a hard subject to come by. But you are in luck. I happen to come across one such couple in northern Canada. They told me that they were able to use a spell to have a surrogate without using the mother’s egg.”

“What!?”

“Yes, it’s a spell that can be cast by one with the Gift. You would take a part of yourself and a part of Derek, your supernatural essence if you would, and use that to create life in the womb of a willing surrogate. The surrogate should also be one with the gift, for she will be unattached to the child, yet be more than willing to protect the young she carries. Also her body will be more able to handle the wolf in the womb. You with the gift, are nothing if resilient.”

“Do you happen to know the spell? Or at least where it can be found?”

“Yes, I do believe I have a transcript of it in my vast library. Would you like to borrow it?”

I know that my face turns red, but I can’t help it. “Yes, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Not at all. But I do hope you wait a few more years before you do this. You are a bit young to be thinking about taking on such responsibility.”

“Of, course. No way in hell do I want to be a teen Dad.”

“Good. The book also references Mating ceremonies should you be interested.”

“Mating what?”

“Think of it as a wedding. But not so traditional. When two wolves become Mates, there is no pomp and circumstance. Many of us still decide to go through with weddings and other such binding contracts, but when it comes to recognizing the actual bond, most wolves, at least born ones, will have a small ceremony for their pack. It gives them a way to celebrate with the happy couple. I know it is something Derek would love, but is unwilling to bring it up to you.”

“Why?”

“Why do you think? Because of your age. He is still against the two of you finishing the bond until you graduate from college. He still doesn’t want to force you into this. I think he is a moron, but he won’t listen to me.”

“So you thought you might just slip the whole thing into a casual conversation with me and know that I won’t be able to resist bringing it up to him.”

“I would never do something so underhanded.” His face looks as serious as can be, yet the slight twinkle in his eye betrays him. 

“Of course.” So much sarcasm. “Well I’m off, if you could bring that book to me at the next pack meeting, I would really appreciate it.” Then I move to walk away.

“It would be my greatest pleasure. Just make sure to watch out for little old ladies on your way home. Who knows there might be a wolf lurking somewhere.” I just continue on my way without giving a response. Peter really shocked me today. Not only with how he treated Scott, but with his font of information. I knew he would know something, but this was a bit more than I thought that I would be getting. But there is hope for Derek and I in the future, so that is a defiant plus. 

Now Scott only has to ask Derek and Allison. When she gets back I know she will forgive him. I just don’t know how it will affect their relationship. As for Derek, I don’t know when or how that will go down, but I have a feeling that I will be there for that encounter. But I don’t think that it is something that will happen this summer. Maybe I’m wrong, but so far, my feelings haven’t lead me astray, and I don’t think they will anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wanted to show that the pack really does care about what Stiles thinks, and that they all respect him as an Alpha. Also I wanted to tell why I think everyone in the pack would forgive Scott when he actually comes asking. Peter's encounter was probably my favorite to write, just because I love the way I am making him uber protective of the pack. Danny's was a close second though. The things Scott did, really affected the outcomes of so many events and if he had made better choices then events would have played out much differently. 
> 
> Also I wanted to answer how I was planning on doing the whole kids thing. I couldn't bring myself to write mpreg for this fic. I do like it and I love to read it when it is done well, but since I am trying to stay on a more show driven base, it didn't really make sense. This isn't something that will be happening in this fic or even the next. It will be touched on in the epilouge and i may do some one shots later that involve more of this kind of stuff.
> 
> As always thank you for your continuing support and let me know what you think! I always love to hear what you guys have to say!


	10. Chapter 10

When Allison comes home the whole pack is happy to have her back. We all spend the night at the loft and stay up way too late talking about everything. From her trip to what has been going on around here. She even starts running with me in the mornings. She used to do it by herself, but now she doesn’t need to and the company is nice. We don’t usually talk, but the silent companionship is more than welcome. It doesn’t take more than a few days for Isaac to join us as well. He has to slow his pace considerably for us though. I don’t think he does it for the exercise so much as not wanting us to go out alone. 

This also might be influenced by the fact that Allison is avoiding Scott. She told me that he comes by the house almost every day to try and talk to her. But her dad makes sure that he doesn’t really bother her. When she is out and about, she tends to have at least one other member of the pack with her at all times. Lately it has been Erica. I think Allison noticed that Scott won’t even try to approach them if she is there, and Erica is all too happy to oblige Allison that one courtesy. 

But she can’t avoid him for forever. In fact, it is one such morning that we are running that he catches us. Isaac warns us that he is close, but there really isn’t anything we can do to evade him. So when he comes running out of the woods and stops in front of us, the three of us stop as well. “Hi, I was hoping that I could talk to you.” He is looking at Allison and she refuses to meet his eyes.

“Can’t this wait for another time?”

“Allison, you have been avoiding me for weeks now. I really need to talk to you. It’s important.” It almost comes out a whine. And I am not really that impressed with his methods. The fact that he tracked her down, and is trying to talk to her now, well, it is almost desperate.

It takes her a while to respond. She can’t really deny that, and she sounds defeated when she answers. “Fine.”

“Could we talk in private?”

“No.” She says it almost too fast. Then calms her breath and finally looks up. “Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of them.”

“Allison, I-“

“No, Scott. It’s either talk to me with them here, or not at all.” She isn’t backing down on this, and I can see Scott start to cave in. Isaac has been stiff and tense ever since he picked up Scott’s scent. I lay a hand on his forearm and try to calm him down. It works a little, but he is still on edge, and I don’t think he will relax until Scott is gone.

“…okay.” He takes a breath and musters up the courage to continue. “I wanted to apologize for my actions. I was trying to do what I thought was best, and it ended up hurting a lot of people. I know that not everyone understands why I did what I did, but my mom was in danger, and I didn’t see any other options. I should have trusted you and Stiles to help me. I know that you two worked together through all of the things I put you through, and I’m sorry that I wasn’t there when you needed me most. I have been selfish and haven’t thought about how my actions affected everyone else.” I would be almost impressed if I didn’t think this speech was somewhat rehearsed. It sounds too practiced. “I know that I don’t deserve your forgiveness, and that I shouldn’t even ask for it. But I am truly sorry for the way I have acted. I had a lot of time to think about it, and now I can see how I hurt all of you. And to be quite honest, I haven’t even been able to forgive myself. The last few months have been quite a wakeup call to me, and I miss you guys. I miss my friends. I miss talking to you guys every day. I want to make things better, and I am willing to do almost anything to make it up to you. All of you.”

The last part of his apology is actually more Scott. I don’t think he planned that part out. And I can tell that he is being completely honest when he said it. He truly means what he says. I just hope that he won’t let old rivalries and ways of thinking to change or hinder his new outlook on things. 

“Scott, I… I want to forgive you, I do forgive you, but…”

“But what?”

“But I can’t forget, Scott. I can’t forget how you betrayed us. You sided with Gerard. A man I could never stand. You knew how I felt about him. How we all felt about him. You knew that we all wanted you to join Derek’s pack, I know Stiles talked to you about it. I talked to you about it.” She did? When? Even Isaac looks a little shocked. “You knew that we would have protected your mother, we could have worked together. Just like we did before. Why didn’t you let us help you?” She is almost in tears and Scott reaches forward to hold her, but she flinches back. I place one arm around her waist and let her rest against me, while Isaac places and arm around her shoulders. 

“I didn’t think.” He looks so sad. “I couldn’t look beyond what was happening right in front of me. I’m sorry Allison, I really am.” He is pulling out his puppy dog eyes. Once upon a time, those eyes would have made me forgive him anything, Allison too by the sounds of her shuttered breathing. But now, they only bring sadness. 

“Scott…” She takes a deep breath and looks him in the eyes one last time. “I forgive you, but I just can’t be around you right now. I really wish I could, but seeing you just reminds me of all the bad things that have happened. It makes me feel terrible, and I can’t deal with all of it right now.” She is still dealing with her mother’s death. We had a couple of Skype chats, and a few more one-on-one chats since she’s been back. She is still dealing with Kate’s lies, and then her mother’s death on top of it all, well she isn’t doing so well. She hides it about as well as I do though. 

Scott just nods sadly, “I’ll wait, Allison. I promise.”

“Don’t.” she sounds so broken. I don’t think they will ever recover from this.

“Allison.” Scott is on the verge of tears and I can see the hurt in his eyes and hear it in his voice.

“I’m sorry Scott.” There are tears openly falling from her face. “I don’ think I can do that again. Maybe friends, but I think we’re over. For good.” Then she turns and barriers herself in my shoulder and I wrap my arms around her in a tight hug.

“Allison.” He starts to move forward. But is stopped by Isaac with a hand on his chest.

“I think you should go Scott.” There is a hint of a growl in his words and an underlying threat if he doesn’t leave. Scott hears it too, but still looks reluctant to go. He waits a few more minutes, but then does make his way back the way him came. It takes about ten more minutes until Allison is able to move and we slowly make our way back to my jeep, and then head for the loft. Isaac looks like he doesn’t know what to think. I am not all that surprised about what Allison said, but it is apparent that Isaac is. I guess we all thought that Scott and Allison were a forever thing. I mean I know that they never mated, and when I finally got around to asking her about knotting, she said that it never happened. That was an awkward conversation to say the least. But Isaac’s silent contemplation is making me want to see how he is feeling right now, but that would be an invasion of privacy, and I promised the pack that I wouldn’t do anything like that unless it was absolutely necessary. 

When we get there, Derek looks concerned. Isaac leads Allison to the couch and starts to try and sooth her while I take Derek to the kitchen and fill him in on what just happened. I take a cup of tea out to Allison and then go back to the kitchen. I know Derek will want to talk about what to do now. “So that was the last pack member. He will be coming to you next.”

“And what do you think I should do when he comes?”

“Have you forgiven him yet?” His expression stays stony, but the emotions under the surface are rolling like the sea in a storm. “No, you haven’t. You need to be able to do that before you let him in the pack. If you as the Alpha don’t want him here, neither will any of the others. I know they have all talked you about their decisions as well.” He gives me a surprised look. “What? I don’t have to be an empath to know that. I figured they would tell you at least. The ultimate choice is yours, Derek. It is all up to you.” He leans in and wraps his arms around me holding me tight.

“What do you want?”

“I’ve told you all, already. If all of you can believe that he is sorry, then I want him in the pack.”

“But?”

I roll my eyes. Of course he can sense there is more. “I am worried about him, but I am more worried about the pack and how his joining it will affect the others. He is going to be at the bottom of the pecking order. I don’t know how well he will deal with that. He thinks that his opinion is the only one that counts most times, and his voice, while heard, won’t carry much weight. I don’t think he will like that. He always thought the way you did things as Alpha weren’t the best. And while I agree on some of them, the reasons are different. I know you were trying your best, and you have become so much better. All the Betas trust you implicitly, and even the humans in the pack know when to step down. Lydia included. And I never thought I would see that happen. If he starts causing too much trouble, I think that we should be prepared. Maybe he should join on a probationary period. See how he does, and then make a final decision after that.”

“That actually sounds like a good idea.”

“Of course it does, I came up with it. But you still have to forgive him yourself before he can join. So you have some thinking to do on your own.” We drift back to the living room only to find Allison asleep on Isaac’s shoulder and his head resting on top of hers with his eyes closed. Quickly, I shift my vision to see the pack bonds, and I see a wisp of color connecting the two of them. I don’t know what it means, but I think it can only be good.

…

In the weeks after Allison’s return the new Hale house has been in the final stages of completion. Everyone was asked what colors they wanted their rooms to be, and were told that they would be able to fill their own room and decorate it however they saw fit. Allison and Danny were both surprised that they each had their own room at the house. So I made Derek sit them down and tell them once again that they are pack. Sometimes I think they still feel like outsiders, but since their talk with Derek they have stopped acting like that. Lydia was very adamant about helping to decorate the common areas, and Derek gave in with a few requirements on his and my part. 

I told her that I had total veto power on the kitchen, mostly because I am about the only one who cooks, so therefore it is mine to do with what I want. I told her I wanted it to be bright without being colorful. So we went with white cabinets and a charcoal granite countertops with stainless steel appliances. We had to have a huge dining room table to make sure that when we do have sit down meals, that everyone would fit. As for the living room, I really didn’t care about the furniture, I just made sure to tell her no leather. While I love it on Derek, it isn’t the most comfortable thing to sit on. So she got a large, and I mean large sectional sofa that can probably fit most of the pack, along with a matching couch and overstuffed chair. (Derek’s request.) 

The rooms that I made sure were off limits to her were the master bedroom and bathroom, Isaac’s room, and the library/study. Since that would be used mostly by me, I want to make it something I am going to be not only comfortable in but a place I will love. I made most of it with darker woods, and got a giant desk for it. Most of the room will be covered in built-in bookshelves, but I made sure to put a couch in there as well.

As for the master bedroom, Derek and I decided on mostly earthy tones. I basically wanted to bring the forest inside our room. So it’s all dark browns, greens, and small touches of blue. We got a California King sized bed, and a great bedroom set to tie everything together. Normally, I don’t care about this stuff. My bedroom at Dad’s is a hodge-podge of mismatched furniture. Normally my style. But for Derek’s and my new bedroom, I wanted to be a bit more adult. Then there is the master bathroom. I just about died when Derek told me how big it was going to be. I think it’s almost the same size as most of the bedrooms. He bought a large Jacuzzi tub that we can both fit into, double sinks, and the shower… I can’t wait to use this shower! He got the one that has like fifteen different jets, and there is a rain shower option. It will be so luxurious. Isaac’s bathroom will be a slightly smaller version of our own. He let Isaac choose, but after talking up the merits of all the things we are going to have, he couldn’t say no. 

Isaac was a bit overwhelmed with the fact that not only was he getting his own room, and that it will be larger than the others, but the fact that he was getting his own bathroom too. Derek told him that he is the only one of the pack that will be living at the house full time, and that he is family. I knew Derek considered him a younger brother, most of us do. But this means more coming from Derek than it would anyone else. It means that he has family again. And that is a major thing. 

After everyone got the things for their rooms picked out, and all the shopping was done, Derek hired people to paint and get the furniture moved in. A few of us tried to offer to do this, but he insisted that we relax and let someone else worry about it. Of course Lydia didn’t listen, and was there when the moving guys came to deliver. She directed everyone to make sure that everything got into the right rooms. 

Now we are all waiting for the final touches to be put on the house. Derek won’t let anyone close to the house until it is finished, and if anyone of us should try and sneak in to get a peek, we were threatened with triple training and extra chores to do once the house was set up. Lydia and he are the only two allowed on premises, and they are both so tight lipped that they let nothing slip. It is sort of infuriating but I get why he wants it to be that way. We haven’t exactly had the best few months, and this is something exciting for everyone to look forward to. 

…

While we wait for the house to be finished our training has been a constant. The wolves are so in sync now that they are trying to find new ways to keep each other on their toes. Everyone still has room for improvement but for the most part no one is falling behind. Where one pack member is lacking, another one excels. They have become such a tight unit that I am certain if we should ever face another threat we will be more than prepared to handle it. 

Even us humans have been doing great. Since Allison got back, she has been training Lydia and Danny. Lydia mostly with the bow, she isn’t a perfect shot but she is doing really well. She has also gotten most of the bestiary translated. I have poured over a lot of it, but there is so much information, that I am holding off on it until the time comes where I might need it. As it is between Derek and Peter, there are so many other books that I want to read. The one Peter brought me about the ritual he talked about was very interesting. What drew my interest more was about the bonding ceremonies. I still have to talk to Derek about that, I just haven’t been able to find the right time.

Danny doesn’t like the bow so much. He is a better shot with the crossbow, but he prefers the more hand to hand methods due to his time on the lacrosse team. I was able to devise a charm that will help protect him from harm, and he has split his training with Allison and the pack. He learns not only how to fight, but how to fight wolves. The charm isn’t as good as my shield is, but it is at least a layer of protection he didn’t have before. I gave two more out to Allison and Lydia, but I hope they will never have the need to use them. I hope that none of us will have the need to use any of the training we have been doing. 

My studies with Deaton have become fewer and fewer as well. He says that there isn’t much more he can teach me. I still haven’t figured out the telekinesis thing, and maybe I never will. I just hope I will have use of it when I will need it. But my other powers have grown considerably. My empathy is easy to control. It is more like a subconscious thought now, rather than an ever pressing issue. The shielding magic has gotten much better. I am able to shield two other people with me when I throw it out, but it doesn’t last long. The other bonus is the creation of charms and more physical barriers like the mountain ash line. I don’t need to use my focus for any of my powers now, but I still keep them close at hand just in case. I have also started to carry a handful of mountain ash. Peter seems to be wary about something coming our way, but is unsure of what that might be. Or is at least unwilling to share what he thinks it might be. I think he is just trying to make sure we don’t worry unnecessarily.

When I asked Deaton, he said that the future is foggy and unclear. I think he knows what is coming, but is either unable or unwilling to tell us. If this turns out to be another one of his tests, or a withholding of truths, then I might just strangle him. He still talks in riddles and leaves me with more questions than answers. And that drives me up the wall. 

The only other thing of note is that Derek’s and my relationship has been getting progressively more intense. There are times when we are together that I can feel the want and lust roll off of him, and there have been a few times when I have had to get a new shirt because he shredded the one I was wearing in order to get to my skin faster. At first I didn’t mind so much, but it is becoming more and more of a problem. I have tried to back off, but it doesn’t seem to help any. Not even the pack is able to do anything about it. My threat of having different pack member sleep over is actually becoming a real thing now. 

I feel bad about it. I feel like I am punishing him or something, but I know that he needs me to do it. There is a grateful look on his face when he slips in through my window at night and Erica or Isaac are there with me already. He is still trying to come to terms with what his body is so willing to accept. His knot has made a few more appearances since our time in the shower and each time, I can’t help but wonder what it will feel like when he finally takes me. 

I made another trip to the store where I got my first toys, but this time Derek went with me. He helped me pick out another dildo a bit closer to his size, and then after we got back to his loft, he helped me break it in. That was something we have repeated many times. I think it helps him a little with the urge to claim me, when he can do it in other ways. Scent marking has taken on a whole new meaning for me. Each time we are together it is always so intense, but it’s the cuddling and snuggling after that I look forward to the most. It is when Derek is the most open and talkative. And he is unashamed to want the cuddling to happen. 

Dad still isn’t too thrilled with the whole thing, but one night Derek sat him down to talk about it. I wasn’t there and I thank God I wasn’t. He told Dad that we are Mates, and that this thing between us is forever. He pretty much asked for my father’s blessing, and my father actually gave it. He told me afterward that it wasn’t the words Derek said that convinced him, it was the look in his eyes when he talked about me. He said it was the same look he had when he talked about mom. Dad is still a little uncomfortable with the whole thing, but I think he will come around soon enough. At least I hope he will.

…

After one of our more intense training sessions we are sitting around my house and relaxing. But everyone is still pretty tense. We all have been to some degree ever since the Kanima. And none of us have been really acting like teens this summer. Something my dad made a point of to tell me about recently. So an idea pops in my head. “How about we skip training tomorrow?” The whole pack looks at me, but Derek gives me a questioning look. “I was just thinking that none of us have really done anything fun this summer. It’s been all training and hanging out at the loft here. Maybe we should do something fun.”

“What were you thinking?” Derek looks at me cautiously. 

“I was thinking maybe we should go to the beach tomorrow.” This is met with a round of yeses and a chorus of cheers. I glance at Derek asking him if it would be okay with my eyes. And he answers me with a smile. “So I take that as a yes?”

“YES!” Everyone responds with enthusiasm. 

“Okay, so I guess we are going to the beach.” We start making plans and for tomorrow. This is exactly what the pack needs. A chance to get away for a little bit, and time to just be teens for a day. I am so smart.

So the next day we all meet up at my house, and start piling into vehicles. Allison is driving her car with Danny, Lydia, and Jackson. Erica, Boyd and Isaac are in Derek’s Camaro, and Derek, Peter and I are in my jeep. We have all the trunks and free space packed with things we will need for our day out. Blankets, coolers, towels, and food. It’s early when we get our start, mostly because it will take about an hour or so to drive to the beach, and we wanted to scope out a good spot. The drive is quiet, but not uncomfortable. 

When we get there, everyone seems to revert to the age of ten, even Peter. Derek, Isaac, Allison, and I end up getting the vehicles unloaded and start setting up blankets on the sand to save our spot. I have noticed that over the last week Isaac and Allison have been growing a bit closer. They can often be found in each other’s company. It is completely platonic, but I can see the potential for more between the two. I’m not sure if they do, but maybe in time. 

Derek makes the final trek back from the jeep with the small grill we brought with us to make lunch on, and Isaac and Allison have joined the others in the surf. Peter is sitting under one of the large umbrellas we brought reading a book, and I am applying a generous amount of sunscreen too all the exposed areas of skin on my body. Sunburn is a bitch, and with my pale skin, it is going to happen. So I hold out the bottle to Derek, “Get my back?” Of course I give him my signature cheeky grin. He just smiles and rolls his eyes, but does take the bottle and gently rubs the lotion into my skin. Then turns into more of a massage than just putting on sunscreen. And I can’t say I don’t appreciate it.

“If you boys are going to go any further, might I suggest going where no one else can see you.” Uhg, Peter. Derek laughs, he actually laughs at something his uncle says. That is a true show that things have changed. He leans back and I stand pulling him to his feet and off into the water where the others are.

Jackson and Danny go and get the surfboards they attached to the top of my jeep and start teaching the others. I manage to stand once and then make a complete fool of myself and fall off. Everyone is surprised when Derek snags one and paddles out into the incoming waves and shows us how good he is. I mean, He really knows how to surf. He even does a few fancy tricks and then comes in. We are all applauding him when he gets there.

“Dude! I had no idea you knew how to do that!” I launch myself into his arms and tackle him to the sand.

“It’s just something I picked up.”

“Just some- really? That isn’t something you just pick up.”

“Well, before Laura and I settled in New York we lived on the southeastern coast. You tend to learn a few things when you live next to the ocean.”

The others move off to keep trying their hand, but I settle myself on top of him. “I love that I get to learn new things about you. You keep surprising me. Don’t ever stop, okay?” he give me a warm chuckle and barriers his head in my neck. We end up in a small wrestling match, and he lets me win putting myself on top of him again. Then he blushes something fierce and I look up to see Erica grinning at us with a happy glint in her eyes, and she is talking low enough that I can’t hear, but Derek obviously can. “Oh, that’s it Erica, you’re gonna get it now. Isaac, grab her!” Isaac who was lurking just behind her grabs her and I rush towards them and pull them both into the water. From there it dissolves into dunking each other in the water. 

We spend all morning in the water and by lunch we are all starving. So Derek sets up the grill and starts up the hot dogs while I set out the chips and the cookies I baked the night before. Everyone is getting themselves comfortable on the blankets we laid out at we take up easy conversation. Everyone is relaxed and calm. It is shaping up for a perfect day. 

After lunch everyone takes off on their own. Danny is laying out working on his tan, Lydia and Jackson are lying next to each other in the shade napping, Boyd and Erica are off playing in the water, Peter is still reading his book, and I am not sure where Isaac and Allison got off too. But I take Derek’s hand in mine and pull us off to start walking down the beach away from everyone. 

I’ve been wanting to have a moment alone with him since we got here, and I still want to talk to him about the bonding ceremony. “You having fun?”

“Yeah, I am. I haven’t been to the beach in a while. Not for years.”

“Good, I’m glad. I was actually worried you wouldn’t like my idea.”

“Why’s that?” He laces his fingers in mine as we walk, our shoulders brushing each other.

“I know that the training is important, and well this is just goofing off. We get a lot of pack bonding without taking a whole day off, and I just wasn’t sure how you would react.”

“You guys are all young still. You should be having fun. I’m sorry if I’ve been pushing everyone too hard.”

“No! You haven’t been. And you’re young too you know.”

“Not as young as you.”

“No, but still young enough. You need to learn to let loose and break free every once in a while Derek. It’s good for you.”

“Oh, really?” He picks me up and starts running will me over his shoulder towards an outcropping of rocks that will give us some privacy from onlookers. Then he lays me out on the sand and starts kissing me like today is our last day on earth. It takes my breath away, and I think I actually forget my name at one point. It’s Stiles right? Yeah, that’s it. Then the kisses take on another tone, and it becomes softer, but not any less insistent. He pulls back a bit and stares at me. One of those soul piercing gazes.

“Derek?”

“I’m ready Stiles. I think I’ve been ready.”

“What?!”

He chuckles. “I’m ready.” His eyes flash violet and silver. 

“You are? Are you sure? I mean I don’t mind waiting. I don’t want to push you into anything.”

“You’re not, and I am. I’m very sure.” He leans down and places another kiss searing his answer into my lips. “I love you so much. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you, waking up next to you, hearing your heartbeat.” God he is so cheesy! I love it!

“I want that too. So much.” So maybe I am too. When he says things like that… I just can’t. “There was something I actually wanted to talk to you about. About the bonding.”

“Oh?” He settles himself over me licking and kissing up my neck and scenting me a bit more heavily than normal. It makes it hard to get out my next words, but they need to be said. He won’t ask for it, so I will.

“Yeah, I’ve been reading a few of Peter’s books, and he sort of mentioned something that I think we should do. If you want to I mean. If you don’t it’s okay, I just thought it would be nice for us to share it with the pack.”

He doesn’t even pull back, just speaks into my neck. “What do you want to do Stiles?”

“I want to have a Bonding Ceremony.” He stills but then goes back to kissing every inch of my neck finally meeting my eyes.

“You want that?”

“Yes. I know it what it means to you, and I want to be able to share that with our pack.”

“I want that too. So much Stiles, I just didn’t know how to ask.”

“I know. I just don’t know what your family did. In most of the stuff I’ve read, every pack has their own way of doing things. And although I want to honor your family’s traditions, I was also thinking of adding a few of our own. If that’s okay?”

“I would be more than happy with that. This is the new Hale pack, and we should make our own traditions and do things the way we want them.” If it’s possible his eyes flash brighter and the smile on his face is lighting it up so much. I can’t help but think back to the dream I had so long ago, that is the smile I wanted to see on his face every day. But this smile, this smile makes that other one pale in comparison. I want to keep it for myself and never share it with anyone. So I pull him down to me and steal a rather passionate kiss that goes on far longer than any of our others. I don’t even know what time it is anymore, and by the time we make it back to the others the sun is setting that they have most of our things packed up and ready to go. 

“Where have you two love birds been?” I can’t even muster up the fake annoyance to roll my eyes at Jackson.

“We were talking about how we are going to make things official and finish the bond.” Everyone stares at us and then there are loud cheers and shouts of glee as the pack descends on us in a massive group hug. Everyone congratulates us and I can hear Lydia above everyone already trying to plan things out. For now I’ll let her talk, but later I am going to rein her in. She will probably want to plan something opulent and way over the top. That is not Derek, or myself. But for now I am going to fall into the embrace of the man I love and just be happy. No, happy doesn’t begin to describe it. It is joy, exuberance, excitement, and bliss. Everything I could ever want to happen, and it is all finally coming true. Good God I feel like a girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Allison's forgiveness, the start to Isaac/Allison, and fun pack times! Through this whole story they never really had any time to just be the kids they are. So I wanted to give them that, especially before the drama that is season three. I think I may have taken Stiles and Derek a little OC, and for that I apologize. I want to keep this fic as close to cannon as possible and that includes the character's personalities, but with the effect of being mates and having the connection they do, I think it leaves some room for change. Stiles is calmer and not as spastic as I may like him normally, and Derek is much more open with his feelings and expressing himself. But at the same time I feel the way I have written this the bond they share helps to balance the other out. So Stiles calms down and Derek breaks out. I have gotten so much love from all of you and I really appreciate the support you all have shown! Thank you so much! And please let me know what you think of what I have done with this story! Only one more chapter to go for this part of the fic, and let me tell you, it is a doosy!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is the final chapter of third part of this series! And it's a big one! Only one more left to go!

The next few days pass in a blur. I have to yell at Lydia once that what we want is not at all what she is planning. Jackson helps talk her down, and so Derek and I compromise that she can plan a simple reception after the ceremony. Considering that it is only going to be pack and a few others, we don’t want anything lavish. She eventually concedes and starts going about making preparations. 

The hardest part is going to be telling my dad. He has been rather blasé about the whole Mate thing. He gets that Derek and I are more than just together, and outwardly, he hasn’t acted differently or said anything. But inside, he isn’t that comfortable with it. He hasn’t said anything, but now that we are really making it official, we have to talk to him. I don’t want to ambush him so I tell him that Derek will be over for a family dinner and that we have something important to tell him. There is also something I want to ask him. Derek and I have talked about what we want to happen with our ceremony and he will play an important part in it.

Derek has some things to do at the house so I am alone at home waiting for the two of them to get here. And I am freaking out! I mean it’s one thing to decide to tell dad what’s going on, and another to be physically sitting in front of him and basically telling him I am getting werewolf-married to Derek. Yeah, I don’t think that will go over so well. Dad was cautious when he left for work this morning; I think he could tell that what we have to tell him is a big deal. 

Six o’clock comes and goes, and that is the time they were both supposed to be here. I start pacing and biting my nonexistent finger nails. I swear one time when I look at the clock the second hand is going backwards. Then I hear the engine of the Camaro and race to the front door. Derek is out of the car and dressed in a button down shirt and tie, with his own nervous look on his face. “Sorry I’m late. I got hung up at the house.” As he gets to me I place a kiss on his lips. 

“It’s okay, dad’s not home yet.”

“Everything will be okay.”

“I know, but knowing and believing that are two different things. I have already hidden all the guns, and the wolfsbane ammo just in case, but he isn’t going to take this well.”

Derek places a kiss on my forehead. “He will take it just fine.”

“I think you are overestimating us Stilinski men. When something is bothering us, we let it fester and stew until we can’t take it anymore. Dad hasn’t said anything about our relationship. Not good or bad. That isn’t a good sign. Plus since you told him about us being Mates, he has been throwing off all kinds of emotions. I don’t even have to use my empathy to know how he feels.”

“Stiles, if he doesn’t want us to do this yet, we don’t have to. I know you don’t want to do anything that will upset him. We can wait.”

The laugh that comes out of me is more nerves than anything else. “Yeah, I know I can’t wait that long. Neither can you. I can feel the itch under my skin, and it must be so much worse for you.” We walk inside and I wrap him in my arms holding him close and let his presence comfort and anchor me. He scents me and calms himself down. We are getting ourselves all worked up. But only dad can assuage our fears.

When he does pull up in the driveway he doesn’t come in right away, so I look to Derek to make sure he’s okay. “He’s just giving himself a pep talk.” I roll my eyes and we wait nervously on the couch. When dad does come in, he nods to us and darts upstairs to change and then comes back down. We move to the table and eat in an unbearable silence. I try to start small talk a few times, but none of it sticks.

After I clear the dishes, and sit back down handing my dad and Derek coffee, dad can’t keep it in anymore. “Just please tell me you didn’t get him pregnant or something. I don’t think I could handle that yet.” Derek’s eyes go wide and I just start laughing. Dad looks miserable and I try to talk but the laughter overtakes me. He thought I was pregnant! I mean I can see how that wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility, I mean it is, but if it was me that just found out about all this stuff again, before I had all the information I have, I might be inclined to think the same thing. 

Eventually I am able to calm myself down. Derek still looks like a deer in the headlights and dad has his eyes closed as if waiting for whatever news we have is going to be the worst thing on earth. “Dad, that is a physical and magical impossibility. I’ve looked into it, I know.” That snaps Derek out of his shaken mental state, and he gives me a questioning look. “This is good news. At least I think it’s good news, and if you don’t freak out it could be good news for you too.”

“What is it son?”

“Well Derek and I have been talking, and I know that he told you what we are to each other. What our relationship means.” He nods his head that he understands what I’m talking about. “So he also told you that the bond wasn’t completed yet, and that we were taking our time with it?” He nods again. “Well we’ve decided to finish the bond.”

“Okay, what does that entail? Or do I not want to know? You know what I don’t think I want to know.”

“You’re probably right, but there is something we are planning that we want you to be there for.”

“What is that?” He asks this cautiously, like we are asking him to do some dark voodoo or something.

“Well we are planning a bonding ceremony.”

“A what?”

“A bonding ceremony. Think of it as a way to share our bond with the pack.”

“You mean like a wedding? Stiles, you are too young to get married, I mean for God’s sake-“

“Dad! It’s not a wedding. I mean it kinda seems like one, but it is so much more than that. I know you don’t really like what Derek and I have, and from a dad’s point of view, I can completely understand that. Really, I do. But dad, Derek and I are a forever thing. This isn’t going to change anything. I mean it will, but that is stuff that is just between Derek and I. This is just more of a way for the pack to celebrate with us. And dad, you’re pack too.” That is true. I can see the black cord that connects him to the rest of the pack. “This won’t change things. I’m still going to be living here at home, I’m still going to school, I am going to go to college. This is a big step, and I am sorry to say this, but it will be happening whether you like it or not. I love him dad, more than I can put into words, and he loves me too. I have what you and mom had. And I want you to be there to celebrate it with us.”

He stays quiet and contemplative for a few minutes. His eyes look from me to Derek, back and forth. Then he lets out a small sigh and I can tell he is going to give in. when his eyes open they are looking at Derek, and if looks could kill, well Derek would be a dead man walking. Or in this case sitting. “You’re right, I don’t care for the relationship you two have. I think it was done too fast, and you are both too young to be entering into something like this.” He holds up his hand to hush me before I can interrupt. “I know you keep telling me that this is more than a choice for you two. That it’s density or, whatever, but you are both still too young. However, I can see the way you two look at each other. And while I may not understand it, I do believe you. Derek, I am happy to call you family, but if you ever, and I mean ever, hurt my son, you are dead. And Stiles,” then his look shifts from Derek to me, “If you ever hurt my son, then you are a dead man walking.” 

Derek gasps at this, and I throw myself forward to grab dad in a fiercely tight hug. “Thanks dad.” He hugs me back, and when he lets go, he turns to Derek and holds out a hand. 

“Welcome to the family, son.” Derek stands, still shaken, and reaches for the hand, but dad takes it and pulls him into a hug. Derek is frozen for about five seconds before he returns it tentatively, but I can tell that a sense of relief washes over him, and actually hugs back with a bit more enthusiasm. When we are all seated again I still have to ask him something.

“So dad, there was something else we wanted to ask you.” He looks at me questioningly. “We were wondering if you would be the officiator of the ceremony. It’s nothing fancy; all you would have to do is stand up with us and speak. It would really mean a lot to us if you would. You kinda became pack dad.”

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t even know what to say.”

“We will have something written for you, and you can follow that, or improvise a little. I mean, if you wanted to say a few words we wouldn’t be opposed to that, but there are a few things we do want to happen. The ceremony itself will be pretty short, so there won’t be that much for you to do.” Maybe if I sell it short, he will do it. I really want him to do it.

“If you guys are sure.”

“We are.”

“Okay, then I guess I can. When is this happening?” 

“Next week, on the full moon.” We never really talked about it, but I guess Derek knew when he wanted to do it. “The house will be ready, so we can do it there.” But I hear the unsaid words, ‘the pack can stay at the loft, we will have it to ourselves after and break in our new bed.’ 

“There will be a small reception after too. This is more of a party than anything really, and it will just be pack there. So nothing too outrageous.” Dad nods. And the rest of the night is spent talking about anything that isn’t supernatural in nature. He took it a lot better than I thought he would, and Derek is finally able to speak again, so I let him and dad fill the conversation while I stay in my head thinking about next week.

…

Before I know it the full moon is here and we are getting the tent set up in the back of the house. Actually I should say that everyone but me is getting the tent set up. I was forbidden from the coming. Derek wants it to be a surprise for me, and it is killing me. Everyone else has gotten a tour of the house, and I am going to be the last one. I mean I can picture the way everything will look, but it will be different to actually see it. 

Instead I am stuck at the loft with Isaac, Erica, and Allison. They were allowed to stay behind to keep me company, but more like to keep me from going insane. We planned for the ceremony to start about five, and then the reception right after, and to have everyone gone by ten. So I end up pacing in the living room while Erica pokes fun at me, Isaac drifts in and out of daydreams, and Allison tries to get me to sit down and relax. It doesn’t really work, but eventually I do sit and let them distract me with plans for when school starts up in a month. Our junior year should be better than our sophomore one, but with that unease still resting on the edge of everything, I am not putting much stock in it. I still haven’t said anything to the pack, just Derek. He tried to tell me that it is probably nothing, but I know he doesn’t believe his own words. We have both learned that my ‘feelings’ tend to be right. But for now I am trying to put that in the back of my head and think about what is going on today.

Finally the time comes to get ready. And I get dressed in white button down with a vest, and a lightweight red hoodie underneath with dark washed jeans, and a pair of red converse sneakers. I couldn’t pass up the red riding hood reference. Everyone expects it from me now anyway. I don’t know what Derek is wearing, but we are keeping it pretty casual. As I had to keep reminding Lydia, this isn’t a wedding. 

Allison drives the four of us to the house and this is the first time I will get to see it finished. The whole way up the winding driveway is killing me. Derek actually had the way paved and it rides much better now. As we get up to the house, there is an actual lawn now, but the house still looks like it is in the middle of a clearing. The house, or rather, mansion, is a sight to behold. It’s three stories tall, and dark grey in color. While the old Hale house was a bit more Victorian in design, the new one is much more modern. I have yet to see the inside, but we are heading to the back yard so that will have to wait. 

When we walk around the house I stop in my tracks. The tent is up and a few tables, but that isn’t what stopped me. It’s all the violets that are planted along the house and out to the garden. This is something that only Derek would have planned. Only he knew how I felt about the flowers. I am snapped out of my sudden shock by the man himself coming into my field of vision. And the nervousness that is coming off of him is intense. “It’s okay right?”

“Is it- Of course it’s okay! I love it!” I pull him into a kiss and then whisper in his ear. “So Cheesy.” Then I get a good look of what he is wearing. It is one of my favorite grey Henleys of his with a pair of dark blue jeans and a black sports jacket. “You look good!”

“You too.” He thumbs over the red hoodie and raises an eyebrow.

“Couldn’t resist.” I just give him a huge grin and I know I am bleeding over into the other’s emotions, but I can’t help it. This is probably one of the happiest days of my life, and no one is going to ruin it. 

So we move to the tent and everyone else is there already. They are all dressed up a bit like us, but nothing too formal, just like we asked. Dad moves to stand up near the head of the tent and Derek and I join him. I have to close off myself from the pack because their emotions are kind of over running my own. I only leave the connection to Derek and myself wide open. And then my dad starts.

“So to keep this shindig a bit less informal the boys have asked us all as a pack to first take a moment to settle down. Even I can tell you all are starting to overload Stiles.” Most of them laugh but they all settle down and I am able to open the connections back up. “Okay, so before we start I just want to say a few words.” I kinda figured he would do this. “I have to say that when I first found out about werewolves, I didn’t really know how I should react. And when I found out about Derek and Stiles being Mates, I was not happy to say the least. But then I watched them interact with each other. I remembered back to all of their previous encounters, and all the things that they did for each other without the other knowing. And what I saw was a devotion that is unparalleled by any other. I still think the two of you are too young to be entering into a relationship like this, but I also know that when you get something into your head, you refuse to let it go. Stiles, you are so much like your mother, I know she would be proud of the man you have become. She said the day would come when you would find the person who would be your match, and I have to say, Derek is exactly that. He levels you out just like you do for him.”

“And Derek, although I didn’t know your family, I know that they would be proud of you. I know you had a hard time adjusting to things after all the loss you have suffered in your life. But you didn’t let that stop you. You created a new family for yourself. You’ve protected them and listened to them, even when you didn’t want to. You’ve given a home to Isaac, and supported all the others when they needed it most. I am honored to welcome you into the Stilinski family, and call you son.”

His words put a stinging behind my eyes, and I can tell even Derek was affected by what my dad said. “Now for the first part of the ceremony, Stiles wants to share something with you all.” He nods to me and I turn to the pack.

“So as you know one of my abilities is to see bonds. I wanted to show all of you what the bonds I share with all of you are. So just sit back, relax, and keep your eyes open.” I pull the piece of red string out of my pocket and twine it in my fingers, grab Derek’s hand, and close my eyes. Pulling the power through the focus and then sending it out through the pack bond is hard. I have tried this a few times with Derek, but haven’t really been successful. But I feel with the whole pack here I will be able to draw on some of their strength to be able to pull this off. When Derek squeezes my hands I know that it has worked. So I open my eyes and keep flow of power going for a few moments more, then pull it all back and withdraw the power into myself. “The black lines are the pack bond, blue is family, red is love, and the white bond that connects Derek and myself is the True Mate bond. Or in other words, soul mates. I know it sounds cheesy, but that is what being True Mates is.” I let go of Derek’s hands and put the red string away in my pocket.

Dad is stunned for a minute, but then remembers what he is supposed to do next. “If you would please take each other’s hands. In representation of the bond you two share, I wrap this white cord around you to tie you together.” He wraps the cord around our joined hands and then ties it off in a knot. “You two will be forever bound to each other, tied as one. Nothing can break this bond, not even death.” The spell I cast on the cord makes it glow and slowly dissolve around our hands. “Next is a reaffirmation of the claim.” He steps back a bit and gestures for us to continue. Derek takes off his sport coat and I take off all but the tank top I was wearing. I want to leave as little as possible between his hand and the mark as I could. He goes first, and he places his palm against my chest right over where the mark is, and then I feel that burning sensation I felt all those months ago. But this time instead of being uncomfortable, it warms every part of my body. Then I lean in and move aside the collar of his shirt to place a new bite over the old one. Again I bite hard enough to break the skin and I get the metallic taste of blood in my mouth then pull away. We put our clothes back on and dad steps forward again looking a little uncomfortable. “The final part of the ceremony is not a common one. This is more for the setup of the house and the pack.” Dad places the mortar and pestle on the small pedestal beside us, and lets me take over once more.

“This is part of spell of protection for the house. Any of us may enter, but no one else without permission will be allowed in the house. For this to work I will need a drop of blood from each of you placed here.” I motion to the mortar, then take the knife and cut a small line in the palm of my hand and allow one drop to fall in the bowl. Then I hand the knife over to Derek and he does the same. He takes my hand and licks at the small cut taking the blood away and healing it closed. Dad is next. He was hesitant when I told him that I wanted him to be joined in the protection on the house, but when I explained why he agreed. One by one the pack comes up and they each place a drop into the bowl and after everyone is finished, I add the last few ingredients then mix them together saying a few words of power in Latin. All of the wolves’ eyes flash and white smoke floats up from the now burning mixture. It gently floats over the house and when it disperses I can feel the power coming from it. All the runes I have laid through the progression of the building and around the clearing hum with energy and settle into something that will always be at the edge of my mind. 

“Now we shall eat and celebrate our newly bonded.” And that is exactly what we do. Lydia did get a great caterer that delivered and then left, so it really is just pack here with us. She wanted to hire a professional photographer but Derek and I were against having strangers there with us, so we agreed to let Allison take some photos with her own camera. She actually has a pretty good eye, and she knows that we don’t really want any posed pictures so she doesn’t try to get us to. She just lets us act naturally, and catches some candids. Those are always best anyway. We also got a bunch of disposable cameras. That way the whole pack could get some pictures. I’m not sure how well they will turn out, I mean all the wolves eyes flash when the camera flashes, but I still have the picture of Derek when he was arrested. I would love to get another one of him smiling like that to hang on the wall. After the food is gone it turns out like any other pack night. Melissa drops by for a few hours to congratulate us, and to pass on congratulations from Scott. He is still hoping to be let in the pack, and I think Derek is almost ready to let him. 

Then Lydia and Isaac come over each holding a box. “Guys, we said no presents.”

“Oh hush, we are allowed to give our newly mated Alphas a gift if we want to.” Lydia rolls her eyes but gives us a smirk all the same. Then Isaac hands over the box in his hands to me.

“This is from the whole pack.” I slowly rip open the paper, and open the box to find a crimson leather jacket. “Since you run with wolves, we thought you could use the extra protection, just in case. We got Deaton to put on some protection charms and figured you could do some more.” This means a lot to me. The color isn’t lost on me, but at least it is a darker red then the typical red of the red riding hood tale. I stand and put it on and it fits like a glove. Isaac and the others look so smug, but I can’t berate them. This is perfect. Finally I get to have my own leathers. It won’t stop me from stealing Derek’s now and then though. I can’t even say anything so I just pull Isaac into a hug and send out thanks to the whole pack through the bond. Then I take my seat back next to Derek and wait for him to open his. 

Unlike me, he rips off the paper in haste, and when he reveals an empty picture frame he looks up questioningly. “We thought that since you have a home, you would like to have some pictures of the pack up. We have taken a bunch of photos already and placed them throughout the house, but this frame is going to be one of the whole pack. We know that we can’t replace the family you had, and we would never try to. The fire took so much from you, and we just wanted to give something back. You gave us each a place to call our own, a place where we could all fit in, and a place to call home no matter what.” By the end of her speech Lydia looks like she is on the verge of tears. 

Derek tensed up at the beginning and after she finishes he stands and wraps her in a hug of his own. The sadness that pours out of him is only overtaken by the feeling of joy. Family is a dual edged sword for many of us in the pack. On one side we each have loss or pain, but on the other we have pack and each other. 

When he pulls back she grips his forearms and takes the frame from his hands, and Isaac takes the jacket from my shoulders. The others take this as a cue to move chairs and tables until there is an empty space with nothing obstructing the view of the house in the background. Lydia places everyone in their spots and then Allison sets up the camera on a tripod with a remote clicker then comes back and takes her place. Derek is griping my hand hard enough that I think it might actually leave a bruise, but he needs the grounding that it supplies. He lost everything, and it was hard for him to let anyone back in. But he has let them in, and that will make it even harder if he loses it all again. If I have anything to do about it, I won’t let that happen. Never again. 

After the photos are taken some music starts up and they all leave us in the middle of the cleared space. “I know this isn’t a wedding, but I still want the two of you to dance.” Lydia is so commanding, but we can’t find it in ourselves to say no. When Erica starts to sing, it throws me off, but we keep dancing and listen to the words of the song. It’s from a movie, but it perfectly describes how we feel, and I couldn’t have asked for a better song. And I can’t help but let it slip out that we have a song. Derek and I have a song.

Sweet love, sweet love  
Trapped in your love  
I’ve opened up, unsure I can trust  
My heart and I were buried in dust  
Free me, free us

You’re all I need when I’m holding you tight  
If you walk away I will suffer tonight

I found a man I can trust  
And boy, I believe in us  
I am terrified to love for the first time  
Can you see that I’m bound in chains  
I finally found my place  
I am bound to you  
I am bound to you

So much, so young  
I’ve faced on my own  
Walls I built up became my home  
I’m strong and I’m sure there’s a fire in us  
Sweet love, so pure

I catch my breath with just one beating heart  
And I brace myself, please don’t tear this apart

I found a man I can trust  
And boy I believe in us  
I am terrified to love for the first time  
Can’t you see that I’m bound in chains  
I finally found my way  
I am bound to you   
I am bound to

Suddenly the moment’s here  
I embrace my fears  
All that I have been carrying all these years  
Do I risk it all  
Come this far just to fall, fall

Oh, I can trust  
And boy I believe in us  
I am terrified to love for the first time  
Can you see that I’m bound in chains  
And finally found my way  
I am bound to you

I am  
Ooh, I am  
I’m bound to you

By the end of the song, everyone is on the dance floor, well almost everyone. Boyd is standing with Erica at the mic with his arms wrapped around her, Jackson and Lydia are pressed tight to each other swaying to the music, Isaac has Allison held somewhat tightly to him and she looks comfortable in his embrace, even dad has Mellissa on the floor dancing. Danny is the only one not with someone and I feel bad for a little bit. I wish he had someone to share this moment with. But he is taking pictures and looks like he is having a good time. I don’t sense any sad or sour emotions from him, so I am able to let it go. Peter is sitting in the corner and he looks like he is lost in memories of better times. I make sure to send him some affection through the bond, and this smile gets a bit looser when I do. Everyone is happy, and I couldn’t ask for a better night. 

After the song is over I give Derek a kiss, and then head over to Erica to give her a big hug that evolves into a pack hug. I didn’t think I would get emotional tonight, but I should have known better. With dad making his speech, the gifts to both of us, and the song, well it all is a bit much and way more over the top than Derek and I wanted, but at the same time, I couldn’t have asked for anything else. 

The mic opens up to anyone who wants to have a go, and Karaoke will defiantly be part of the bonding tradition. My dad and Mellissa head out and when they do, someone breaks out some alcohol. I’m thinking its Peter, because it even seems to be affecting the wolves. But I make sure that there are enough designated drivers, Isaac and Danny, to make sure everyone gets home safely. Isaac said he would stay at the loft tonight to give us some privacy. Derek decided to keep it as a just-in-case-place, and I must say that it will have its uses. I know the wolves are much looser with sex, and I mean that as in a, everyone can hear when it happens kind of way, but I am still not ready to let the pack hear me or Derek when we are in the throes of passion. And from the times we have had so far, I am pretty sure that Derek will be a screamer when I get him in the right position. Or at least a howler.

And just like that, I know the scent of my arousal is hitting everyone, so they all start to head out. Lydia says not to worry about cleaning up, they will be back tomorrow afternoon to take care of it. One look to Derek and I say, “Um, make it the day after tomorrow. Just in case.” What? We have a lot of pent up sexual frustration and I am not sure one day will be enough time to get it all out.

We stay on the dance floor even after everyone leaves, but now there is lots of kissing and scenting going on. I don’t know how long we stay out there, but eventually we make our way in. As we enter through the French doors that are in the dining room, I finally get my first look at the finished house. Derek walks behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist as I take it all in. The whole first floor is mostly open, and the space is large. But it is amazing. Lydia somehow worked her magic and managed to get quite a few pictures up on the walls already scattered amongst the artwork. On one shelf in the living room there are a whole collection of pictures and it takes me a minute to realize that these are pictures of the old Hale pack. Many of them look weathered and worn, but there are even a few of just Derek and Laura from their time in New York. We move to the kitchen and I am so happy that I choose the things I did for this space. It is large and will be able to feed the whole pack on any given day. The industrial refrigerator is by the door to the garage and is probably already stocked with food. There is also the door to the large pantry and across from that is the half bath we had put in on the first floor. 

The entryway is simple yet grand at the same time. We start up the stairs and I have to keep going to the third floor. I know that if I stop on the second, we will just end up in our room, and there is still a lot of house to see. So we stroll through the hallway and start at Jackson and Lydia’s room. They choose to do their room in neutral colors, and a very sleek design. Very them. There are two full bathrooms on this floor, and the next stop is Danny’s room. He choose a medium blue for the walls and a sleek design as well, but with much more comfort and a homey feel to it.

Allison’s room is both girly and so not. There are weapon racks on one wall and a large overstuffed bed on the other. There are multiple stuffed animals on the bed and the walls are a light purple. Boyd and Erica’s room is the only other one on this floor, although there are two spare rooms, both of which have double beds and full bedroom sets in them. But their room is almost the same as the guest rooms. They put up some pictures, but have yet to really do anything there. I think they are waiting a bit more until they get more used to one another. They have taken their relationship a bit more seriously than I thought they would, but in a totally good way. They both realize that they are still teenagers, and no one wants to end up like Scott and Allison did when they first got together. Not even Allison.

Back on the second story, I have to skip over the door to our room and head down the hallway to Peter’s room. He has a large bed there and a desk that is loaded down with many books and papers. I’m not sure if he just dumped them all there or if he has been working on something. It looks more like the latter. There is one full bathroom on this floor that isn’t attached to one of the rooms, which pretty much means that it is Peter’s. Only he, Isaac, and Derek and I are on this floor. Isaac’s room already looks like a mess. He has clothes everywhere and there are posters on the walls. He is a bit neater than other teens our age, but he is still a boy. Isaac has his own bathroom and I know that will be something he will enjoy. The next room is the Library/study. And it looks just like I thought it would. Bookshelves on three walls and a couch underneath the windows. There is a large mahogany desk in the middle of the room that can easily fit two people at it, or just me when I am all sprawled out over it.

The last room is our bedroom. Derek has been really quite the whole time we’ve been wandering the house, and when we get to the door of our room he pulls away and lets me go in a few steps ahead of him. Everything is exactly how I wanted it to be. Our bed is set against a wall facing the door to our small balcony. The room faces the east, so we will be able to watch the sun set over the trees from our bed. I take a peek into the master bathroom and couldn’t be happier. 

When I step back into the room Derek is standing by the bed looking a bit nervous. “Derek, I love it.” Relief washes over him and he pulls me into a tight hug and places his nose behind my ear. I am more than happy to let us stand there for a while. Neither one of us feels the need to rush, but there is still a sense of want and lust filling both of us. 

He turns me in his arms and pulls me into a passionate kiss. It is gentle and rough at the same time. My hands start wandering and eventually find the hem of his shirt and I start tracing circles on his abs, but I need more. So I tug and pull his shirt until it is sliding off of his shoulders. Then he us unbuttoning my shirt and brushing it lightly off with the sweatshirt I had on underneath never breaking the kiss he plants on my lips. Then before I can stop him he is clawing and ripping my t-shirt, but I can’t find myself complaining. He pulls me as close to himself as he can and the kiss deepens and his tongue is tracing my bottom lip, so I part my lips giving him entrance into my mouth. His blunt nails are scratching my back and his hands slowly make their way to my waist where he starts to undo the button on my jeans and slides them off my hips with my boxer-briefs letting it all fall to the floor. Not wanting him to feel left out I quickly finish undressing him as well. 

We make our way to the bed, never breaking the kiss and when the back of my legs hit it, Derek lifts and slides me up to the middle of the bed. We are both achingly hard and we start to rut against each other in anticipation. But it isn’t enough and our hands are grabbing at each other’s skin nails tracing white lines everywhere in an attempt to get even closer to each other. “Derek, I need more.” His head falls to the right of my neck and starts to suck and lick and scent there. But he gives me a grunt in return. With supernatural speed he leans over to the nightstand and grabs a bottle of lube and then resumes his ministrations against my neck. 

The faint click sound of the lube reaches my ears, but I am so lost in the euphoria of what he is doing that I didn’t even notice that he managed to get his fingers lubed up until one of them is rubbing over my entrance. A moan escapes me and gradually he slips his finger in me all the way. This has become such a common thing for us now that instantly I want more, and he knows it. As he slides out he adds a second finger going back in. Then he starts to scissor his fingers stretching me open, and finally curls them to find that oh so magic button. And when he does, I see stars just like all the other times it happens. “Derek, more… I need… Oh… more…”

A third finger is added and a slight burn comes with it, but it isn’t unwelcome. They thrust in and out of me and before I know it I am canting my hips back to meet each of his trusts. All the while his lips haven’t left my neck but now I can feel his teeth, still human, scrap across my neck and collar bone. This always does so much to me. He has yet to bite me, but I want him to so badly. Then his hand glides between our bodies and he wraps his hand around me and start to pull and tug until I am on the verge of release. When he senses its approach he stops and then after a few minutes, starts back up again. It is torture, but I love it. Edging isn’t something that I ever thought I would enjoy, but with his fingers moving in and out of me, and his teeth nipping at my neck, it is bliss. But I don’t want to come without him inside me. "Derek, you gotta stop.” Gasp. “I want you inside me, Now!”

When his fingers leave my I feel empty and I want them back. But then I hear the slick sound of lube and look down to see him resting back on his knees above me leisurely jerking himself. He is such a tease. My legs are spread and curled towards me. This is what I have been waiting for. The last few months have been agonizing but well worth it for this moment right now. Our eyes meet and the love I feel is so overwhelming that my heart can barely contain it. He leans down and captures my lips in a kiss and guides himself into me. There is a bit of burn as his head pops past the ring of muscle and he slowly keeps pushing in. I am doing everything I read on the internet to make this as easy as possible for the both of us, and when he bottoms out in me I let out a gasp and wrap my legs around his waist keeping him from moving. “You okay? I’m not hurting you am I?” His voice is ragged yet full of concern.

“No, just full. It’s not bad, just different.” He nods his head and starts working over my neck again. I am going to have so many marks and bruises there in the morning. After a few moments of just having him in me I want him to move so badly. “Derek. Move.” So I might sound like a slut, I’m sure he won’t mind. And then he is moving. He slides almost all the way out, and then back in. And, oh! Yeah he hit that magic button. Again, and again, and again, and again. His mouth is moving all over my neck, chest, and on my lips. I can barely string together a coherent thought. “More, Derek. Faster.” He is going way to slow, and being way to gentle. “Harder.” 

He pulls away a bit and looks me in the eyes again, and they are full blown with lust and love, and that amazing purple/silver. I know I am moaning but I can’t stop myself, I couldn’t even if I wanted to, because he is thrusting into me faster and harder and it makes my back arch upward. Every nerve ending in my body is alive, and that fire has returned to engulf me. The heat is rising in my stomach and I can tell that I am close to my release. “Don’t stop, don’t you dare stop.” One of his hands lace through mine and he is all that is keeping me grounded as I all the sensations build inside me. His other hand reaches down and starts jerking me off. When his lips find mine again it takes all of three seconds for me to come. And it is the most intense orgasm I have ever had. 

A growl lets loose in his throat and a smile plays at his lips, and his pace slows down a bit. “Need you to flip over.” We talked about this too. I knew I wanted us to be face to face the first time, but when his knot forms, and I can feel it starting to expand already, it won’t be a very comfortable position to be in. He pulls out, and I let out a gasp. I don’t like feeling this empty right now. So I turn over and rise up on my knees and bring a pillow down for my head. Then he is pushing back into me and now he is hitting that spot at a different angle, the feeling is much stronger now. “Stiles…” I know what is coming.

The knot starts to expand and it is a bit uncomfortable, but it rubs all the right places and his thrusts get shallower. He pulls me up so his chest is to my back and I wrap my arms around his neck as his wrap around my chest. So I lean my head back for a kiss, and when our lips meet, his body tenses and I can feel him pulse inside me. At first I can’t feel anything, but then I feel every shot. Between the heat of his body, the pulse of his cock and the slight tug and pressure of the knot, it releases something in me and I can feel another orgasm rip through me. I thought the first one was intense, but this one is so much stronger. I came without even being touched, and that is so powerful. We are both panting, and he is still coming in me. 

Derek guides our bodies down to lie on our sides. “So how long do you think this will last?”

“I’m not sure. It’s not something that is exactly polite conversation.” His breath is coming in pants, it is almost a struggle for him to string more than three words together.

“Well, I just have to say, WOW.” He just lets out a happy growl. “I mean it. That was amazing. Like the best ever. You are going to have to go a long ways to top yourself after this. And this is so happening again, and again, and again. We are going to be having so much sex, all the time. You are going to turn me into a sexual deviant.”

He laughs against the back of my neck. “Are you sure it won’t be the other way around?”

“Yep. Because you won’t be able to resist me now that you’ve had me.” 

“I don’t know, I’ve been able to resist until now, wasn’t it you who had to go out and buy a few toys just to keep yourself satisfied?”

“Oh, I knew the teasing would happen eventually, but it’s just too bad for you, that Erica told me you have a few toys of your own.”

“Of course she would.” He doesn’t even sound mad.

“Someone’s gotta have my back.”

“Oh, I have your back.”

“You just made a funny! I’m so proud, I knew I would rub off on you eventually. Pun intended.” He groans. “Oh, shut up and tell me how much you love me.”

I can feel his teeth start to nibble on my neck, “Stiles, I love you more than words can say.” Then he rolls his hips and it is so unexpected that I moan like a porn star.

“Derek.” It comes out cracked, and high.

“We are far from over yet.” His hands start roaming my body again and one of them starts to tug at my newly reawakened cock. The knot keeps pulling at the ring of muscle and pressing against me in all the right ways. I thought that when we would be lying here it would be uncomfortable, and in some ways it is, but right now, that is the last thing I am thinking of.

“I don’t think I can come again.”

“Oh, I think you can, and you will.” His teeth are grazing over my neck again and his hand is speeding up its pace. With his shallow thrust of his hips, his hand’s tight grip on me and with a final bite to my neck I am coming again for the third time in less than an hour. All I can do is collapse against him and lay there boneless. He takes out a towel that was under one of the pillows, he thought ahead, and starts to clean us up. “Sleep now.” His arms wrap around me and I end up falling asleep in his arms and his knot still in me.

…

The next day passes in much the same way. We make love, have sex, and fuck until the cows come home. We do it in many different positions, both of us taking turns topping, although, I think we are both preferential to him being the top. I know I am at least. Every time he tops though, his knot appears. I don’t think it will appear every time, but I will love every time it does. Hopefully it stays away when we want to have a quickie, but on any given day, I know that I will want it again and again.

There is a difference now though. My dreams were filled with what must have been his memories that first night. The good and the bad. He said that he gained some of mine too. He also said that he could feel me like I can feel him. He can not only sense my emotions, but he can know them. I even stubbed my toe once on my way back to the bed, and he said he could feel that too. We text the others to stay away from the house for one more day. We don’t really do anything, but we just wanted another day for it to just be the two of us. And the pack gets it. 

When they all do come back the wolves make sure not to mention the smell. I mean we did do it all over the place. We couldn’t help ourselves. But now the house is full of life and people. We all spend about a week there and have a lot of pack bonding time. Training happens, but it is lessened now. We will keep it up, but without a threat looming over our heads we can relax a bit. That is until we can’t. 

It comes one day near the end of the summer. Isaac had forgotten something at the loft and went to go get it when he saw the mark on the window. Derek, Peter, and I rushed over. From the way Isaac described it, well it doesn’t sound good.

When I see it, I know it doesn’t bode well for us. “This isn’t good is it?”

Peter is the one who responds, “No, it’s not.” Derek looks almost afraid. He is holding me almost too tightly. 

“What does it mean? Is it another pack?” The symbol is almost like Derek’s triskelion. I know that it is the Hale mark, so this must be another pack’s mark.

“Not just any pack, and Alpha pack.”

“A what?”

“An Alpha pack. A pack made entirely of Alpha’s.”

“Does this mean they’re coming?”

“No.” He looks at me gravely. “It means they’re already here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there is probably a lot I would like to say here, but really I can't think of any of it. 
> 
> I do have blueprints for the house, but I forgot them so I can't share them with you right now. But the next time I can post them i will. Sorry about that.
> 
> Please let me know what you guys think of the story so far. I made a lot of changes and I am not done yet, so I would love to hear what you guys think!


	12. Chapter 12

Okay, I hope this works. Here are the links to see the house

First floor

http://dragonmage88.deviantart.com/art/Hale-House-First-Floor-416267374?q=gallery%3Adragonmage88&qo=2

 

Second Floor

http://dragonmage88.deviantart.com/art/Hale-House-Second-Floor-416268076?q=gallery%3Adragonmage88&qo=1

 

Third Floor

http://dragonmage88.deviantart.com/art/Hale-House-Third-Floor-416268392?q=gallery%3Adragonmage88&qo=0

 

Hope you guys like it!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys liked it! I have a lot going on in this part of the series. Stiles has magic, and lots of wolfy training. There is about one or two chapters that don't mesh into the story well so those will read more like one shots and for that I am sorry. I did the best i could. Also when some of the more graphic parts of the story happen, i.e. sex, I will put in a breaker so that not all of you guys who want to read it have to. This will be my first time writing it, so please be kind to me. 
> 
> I love to hear what you have to say, whether it be good or bad. So please leave a comment or a kudo so i know you guys are enjoying it!


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